Patience, Perseuerance, Greatnes, and Strong Trust, These pages are to Fortitude their King, Patience that suffers, and esteemeth iust, What euer woe, for vertue fortunes bring; Perseuerance, holds constant what we must, Greatnes, that still effects the greatest thing. And armed Trust, which neuer can dispaire, But hopes good hap; how euer fatall deare.
The Roman Sergius, hauing lost his hand,
Slew with one hand foure in a single fight,
A thing all reason euer did with-stand.
But that bright Fortitude spred forth her light
Pompey, by storme held from th' Italyan land,
And all his sailors quaking in his sight,
First hoisted saile, and cry'd amidst the strife,
There's neede I goe, no neede to saue my life.
Agis that guilt the Lacedemon streete,
Intending one day battaile with his foes,
By counsaile was repeld, as thing vnmeete,
The enemie beeing ten to one in shoes;
But he reply'd, Tis needful that his feete
Which many leads, should leade to many bloes:
And one being good, an Armie is for ten
Foes to religion, and known naughty men.
To him that told Dienecus, his foes
Couer'd the Sun with darts and armed speares,
Hee made reply, Thy newes is ioy in woes,
Wee'le in the shadow fight, and conquer feares.
And from the Polands words my humor floes,
I care for naught but falling of the Spheares.
Thunder affrights the Infants in the schooles,
And threatnings are the conquerors of fooles.
As these, my case is not so desperate,
And yet, then these, my darre shall be no lesse:
If this in them, for fame was wondred at,
Then this in mee, shall my desiers expresse;
Neuer shall Greece, nor Rome, nor Heathen state,
With shining honor, Albions shine depresse,
Though their great circuits yeelds their acts large bounds,
Yet shall they neuer darr for deeper wounds.
And thus resolu'd, deere Midelton depart,
Seeke for thy safetie in some better soyle,
Thy stay will be no succour in my smart,
Thy losse will make them boast of better spoyle.
And be assur'd before my last breath part,
Ile make the Sunne, for pittie backe recoyle.
And clothe the sea within a scarlet pale,
Iudge of their death which shall my life exhale.
This ship which now intombs my iealous soule,
Honestlie enuious of aspiring laude,
Is cald Reuenge, the scourge which doth controule,
The recreants that Errors right applaud,
Shall like her selfe, by name and fame enroule
My spyrits acts, by no Misfortune aw'd,
Within eternall Bookes of happie deeds,
Vpon whose notes, immortall Vertue reeds,
Say, if I perish, t'was mine honours will,
My Countries loue, religion, and my Queene,
And if that enuie glorie in mine ill,
Say that I dyed, conqu'ring, vnconquered seene.
Say fiftie three strong shyps could not fulfill,
Gainst one poore mayden vessell their foule teene,
But that in spight of death, or miserie,
She fought, and foyled, and scapt captiuitie.
Replie not Midelton, mine eares are clos'd,
Hie in heauen's for-head are my vowes ingrau'd,
I see the banefull Nauie nowt disclosed,
Begon betime, Fate hath thy fortune sau'd;
To me good starres were neuer yet opposed,
Glorie hath crownd me when I glorie crau'd,
Farwel, and say how euer be my chaunce,
My death at honours wedding learnt to daunce.
This sayd, away sailes Midelton with speede,
Sad, heauie, dull, and most disconsolate,
Shedding stout manlie teares at valures deed,
Greeuing the ruine of so great estate;
But Grinuile, whose hope euer did exceede,
Making all death in daungers fortunate,
Gan to prouide to quell this great vprore,
Then which the like was neuer heard before.