Among the Panegyrical Verses before Coryat's _Crudities_ (1611).
_Incipit Michael Drayton_.
A briefe Prologue to the verses _following_.
Deare _Tom_, thy booke was like to come to light,
Ere I could gaine but one halfe howre to write;
They go before whose wits are at their noones,
_And I come after bringing Salt and Spoones._
Many there be that write before thy Booke,
For whom (except here) who could euer looke?
Thrice happy are all wee that had the Grace
To haue our names set in this liuing place.
Most worthy man, with thee it is euen thus,
As men take _Dottrels_, so hast thou ta'n vs.
Which as a man his arme or leg doth set,
So this fond Bird will likewise counterfeit:
Thou art the Fowler, and doest shew vs shapes
And we are all thy _Zanies_, thy true _Apes_. 10
I saw this age (from what it was at first)
Swolne, and so bigge, that it was like to burst,
Growne so prodigious, so quite out of fashion,
That who will thriue, must hazard his damnation:
Sweating in panges, sent such a horrid mist,
As to dim heauen: I looked for Antichrist
Or some new set of Diuels to sway hell,
Worser then those, that in the _Chaos_ fell:
Wondring what fruit it to the world would bring,
At length it brought forth this: O most strange thing; 20
And with sore throwes, for that the greatest head
Euer is hard'st to be deliuered.
By thee wise _Coryate_ we are taught to know,
Great, with great men which is the way to grow.
For in a new straine thou com'st finely in,
Making thy selfe like those thou mean'st to winne:
Greatnesse to me seem'd euer full of feare,
Which thou found'st false at thy arriuing there,
Of the _Bermudas_, the example such,
Where not a ship vntill this time durst touch; 30
Kep't as suppos'd by hels infernall dogs,
Our Fleet found their most honest wyld courteous hogs.
Liue vertuous _Coryate_, and for euer be
Lik'd of such wise men, as are most like thee.
_Explicit Michael Drayton._
Prefixed to William Browne's _Britannia's Pastorals_ (1613).
To his Friend the AVTHOR.
Driue forth thy Flocke, young Pastor, to that Plaine,
Where our old Shepheards wont their flocks to feed;
To those cleare walkes, where many a skilfull Swaine
To'ards the calme eu'ning, tun'd his pleasant Reede,
Those, to the _Muses_ once so sacred, Downes,
As no rude foote might there presume to stand:
(Now made the way of the vnworthiest Clownes,
Dig'd and plow'd vp with each vnhallowed hand)
If possible thou canst, redeeme those places,
Where, by the brim of many a siluer Spring, 10
The learned Maydens, and delightfull Graces
Often haue sate to heare our Shepheards sing:
Where on those _Pines_ the neighb'ring Groues among,
(Now vtterly neglected in these dayes)
Our Garlands, Pipes, and Cornamutes were hong
The monuments of our deserued praise.
So may thy Sheepe like, so thy Lambes increase,
And from the Wolfe feede euer safe and free!
So maist thou thriue, among the learned prease,
As thou young Shepheard art belou'd of mee! 20
Prefixed to Chapman's Translation of Hesiod's _Georgics_ (1618).
To my worthy friend Mr. _George Chapman_, and his translated _Hesiod_.
_Chapman_; We finde by thy past-prized fraught,
What wealth thou dost vpon this Land conferre;
Th'olde _Grecian_ Prophets hither that hast brought,
Of their full words the true interpreter:
And by thy trauell, strongly hast exprest
The large dimensions of the English tongue;
Deliuering them so well, the first and best,
That to the world in Numbers euer sung.
Thou hast vnlock'd the treasury, wherein
All Art, and knowledge haue so long been hidden: 10
Which, till the gracefull Muses did begin
Here to inhabite, was to vs forbidden.
In blest _Elizivm_ (in a place most fit)
Vnder that tree due to the _Delphian_ God,
_Musaeus_, and that _Iliad Singer_ sit,
And neare to them that noble _Hesiod_,
Smoothing their rugged foreheads; and do smile,
After so many hundred yeares to see
Their Poems read in this farre westerne Ile,
Translated from their ancient Greeke, by thee; 20
Each his good _Genius_ whispering in his eare,
That with so lucky, and auspicious fate
Did still attend them, whilst they liuing were,
And gaue their Verses such a lasting date.
Where slightly passing by the _Thespian_ spring,
Many long after did but onely sup;
Nature, then fruitfull, forth these men did bring,
To fetch deep Rowses from _Ioues_ plentious cup.
In thy free labours (friend) then rest content,
Feare not _Detraction_, neither fawne on _Praise_: 30
When idle _Censure_ all her force hath spent,
_Knowledge_ can crowne her self with her owne Baies.
Their Lines, that haue so many liues outworne,
Cleerely expounded shall base Enuy scorne.
_Michael Drayton._
Prefixed to Book ij. of _Primaleon_, &c. Translated by Anthony Munday
(1619).
_OF THE WORKE_ _and Translation._
_If in opinion of iudiciall wit,_
Primaleons_ sweet Invention well deserue:
Then he (no lesse) which hath translated it,
Which doth his sense, his forme, his phrase, obserue.
And in true method of his home-borne stile,
(Following the fashion of a French conceate)
Hath brought him heere into this famous Ile,
Where but a stranger, now hath made his seate.
He liues a Prince, and comming in this sort,
Shall to his Countrey of your fame report._