ABSTRACT
Before the Southern Tracts were found, or bold Columbus did adventure to unfold The navigation to his World of Gold, Onely three portions of the Earth did ly Within the knowledge of Geography. 5 East, West & South & North had shown no more Than Europe, Africk, & the Asian Shore. And these were cantond into sundry Lands, Isles, & Dominions under the Commands Of many Emp’rours, Potentates & Lords, 10 Ruling with Sceptres & with Iron Swords. They, disagreeing in the Way to Blisse, Plact their delights in diverse things: “O this Is precious for its scarcity.” But few The things of Worth from gawdy Trifles knew. 15 Intrinsecally valuable things Are seldome known to Emperours & Kings. This I, alas, by sad Experience found In ev’ry Region, as I traverst round The great terraqueous Globe. Ah woe is me, 20 That I should in my weary travells see An Host of learned & judicious Men (Whose conversation Heav’n would not disdain) Beneath the feet of vulgar Blockheads trod, While rich & ignorant was ador’d as God. 25 But where the close & niggard hand of Heaven Had very few of skill & Learning given, And all the rest were ignorant & dull, There did I see the thick & stupid Skull And the Great Rich ones bowing at their Feet, 30 As stocks & stones did once Amphion’s Musick greet. So in the Climats where no mines doe grow (The living Fountains whence the Metalls flow), How they ador’d a piece of yellow Coin, The smallest Fragment of the noble Mine, [f. 20v] Contemptible to those, & unregarded, where The rich Spring-heads & Sources first appear! He onely happy, who so arms his Ey With the Perspectives of Philosophy, That no terrestriall Coruscations blind 40 The ratiocination of the Mind. Wherfore the learnd, disdaining thus to see The idolizing of Stupidity, Betook themselves to other Regions, where The Strength & Powr of Wisdome might appear. 45 So did a prince who governd well the Land Heav’n had entrusted under his Command. ’Twas not Ambition, but desire that all The realms extended on the earthen Ball Should by his mild Administration feel 50 (Rather than by the Terrour of his Steel) The sweetness of his Reign. To compass this, He chose his faithfull Steward’s good Advice. Thus he determind; but, alas, what Ey Can pierce so deep in human Hearts, to spy 55 Inbred perfidiousness & Treachery? How fals is forreign Aid? It flys away, And for the hopes of sordid lucre they To Princes, Kings & Emperours betray The Councills of his Cabinet. But Kings 60 And Emprours never start at little things, Thinking their Pow’rs as great as his on high That rules the radiant Empires of the Sky. While therefore all their Palaces did ring With Musick’s Ecchoes; while they laugh & sing, 65 And precious Time, that flyes too fast away, Is murderd at a miserable Play, In Cupid-courtships & lascivious Balls, Dancing & rev’lling round the spatious Halls; [f. 21r] While Flatt’rers onely have the Prince’s Ear, Making their Fools the men of learning jeer (And even by that name which heretofore The sacred Orientall Monarchs bore, And modern Emprours would not now forsake, Did they but Wisdome’s holy Councill take)— 75 In the meantime the Governour began To draw his Troops into a spacious Plain And form the siege of an Imperiall Town For Riches, trade & Strength of high Renown. Th’allrum’d Empr’our, circled round with Kings, 80 Into the Field his num’rous Army brings. Now was the Battle ready to be fought, When the good Governour himself bethought That wheresoe’re the Lyon’s skin did fail, ’Twas to be pieced with the Foxe’s Tail, 85 So his faithfull Steward’s Councell took, And marching off, the dangrous Siege forsook. He went alone into a Castel, & His men the Foe did valiantly withstand. Six thousand Horse & fifty thousand Foot 90 Into the Field the Emperour had brought, And warlick Engines, murd’ring Pieces more Than any Emp’rour had amast before. Therefore the wise & prudent Governour, Leaving the Citty with the Iron Tow’r, 95 Marshald his Army in due order, so That they retiring could repell the Foe. There was a River which in his retreat He regularly passed over, yet He providently did esteem it fit 100 To break the Bridge which he had past, whereby He baffled the insulting Enemy. [f. 21v] The next Aurora from the Eastern Skys Had hardly opend sleepy Mortalls’ Eys, When th’ adverse Army, wafting ore the Flood, 105 Upon the Banks in martiall order stood. The Prince again, as wise men all should doe, Consulted with his faithfull Councill, who, As the good Steward represented, saw Necessity that they should all withdraw 110 Into a place impregnable—so strong It should not fear a Siege, altho’ as long As the great Journey which the mighty Sun Does round the Circle of the Zodiack run. ’Twas fortifyd with Royall Bastions, which 115 Were all surrounded with a double Ditch. Just in the Center stood a solid Rock, And strong enough to undergoe the shock. Should the World crack again, the noble Seat Would stand unconquerd by the Hand of Fate. 120 Near it there stood another Towr so high That it receivd the Influence of the Sky. Through it there was a Passage under-ground, Which his good Steward either made or found, A naturall or artificiall Mine. 125 By this contrivance, of his Foes unseen, He still relievd the Prince that dwellt within. Romanian Naples so was heretofore, When the fierce Turkish Solyman for more Than twenty Years environd it around, 130 Supplyd by Burroughs running underground. Nor could the dull Barbarians once perceive The means which did the lab’ring Town relieve. But, to return: the prudent Prince, who now [f. 22r] Had plac’d his Men within the Works below, 135 Retir’d alone into the Castle, then Into a round & secret little Den. ’Twas round & little as a Hermit’s Cell, But was adornd & furnisht wondrous well. There was whatever could oblige a Prince, 140 Or what was worthy of his Excellence. In this retirement he did so delight, That here he spent the Day & here the Night. ’Twas built like one that’s situate in Lorrain, Where the Originall does still remain. 145 It had four Windows which beheld the East, The North, the South & then the setting West. From thence he saw the Stratagems of all His Enemys around the outer Wall. In vain, in vain the Heathens rag’d around 150 The limits of the consecrated Ground, But found no entrance, for his Steward so (Except the secret Avenues below) Had blockt up all, that ev’n malicious Fate Had not the Powr to open any Gate: 155 And in the space of one revolving Year There was no Want of Necessarys there. They ragd the more, and ev’ry Sun that came Added new fewell to the angry Flame. For evry day they made Assaults, but vain 160 Were all th’ assaults of all the numrous Train. This made the Prince divide his weary men Into five severall Battalions; then Duly relievd, they could by day & night Watch in their turns, & in their turns could fight. 165 The Siege had now endured long, & so The furious Leaders of the Baffled Foe [f. 22v] Doe thus accost the Emperour. Say they, “If we break up the Siege & march away, ’Twill much eclipse your Glory & renown, 170 Your Majesty & your Imperiall Crown. The Prince will boast of Victory & say He chac’d your Army, & you fledd away. Nay, he will seek revenge on us, for we Were of his order & his dignity, 175 But our unworthy usage made him fly; He fled, we us’d him so injuriously.” Such words as these cast forth did evry hour Assault the Ears of the dull Emperour, And made him obstinately persist to have 180 The Prince’s Army & the Prince his slave. But Winter with his cold Artillery Drawn from the frozen Regions of the sky, The shiv’ring Northern Pole, came pressing on And forc’t the tender Zany to be gon 185 And keep his paultry body in a Court, To which his Parasites did soon resort, Minions & Prostitutes of evry sort. But the most potent Nobles of the Land Left not the Siege, & under their command 190 The Works were stormd; but like their Sovrein, they From those Assaults were always driv’n away. Their Sov’rein’s charge was they should keep their Ground Untill the Year had turnd his circle round. This when the Prince by his good Steward knew, He calld his Bands togeather. “Each of you [f. 23r] Shall sally forth & from yon coward Crew, Dastard Imperiall Troops, shall bring to me The Badge of Valour & of Victory, Some captive Standard. Your Reward shall be 200 Not onely lawrell Crowns, for you shall see A tide of Riches & be happier farr Than all those fop Imperiall Nobles are. But who fulfills not my commands shall feel The cruell Indignation of my Steel. 205 Rewards & Punishments may move, but I Will move you more. Ile sally out & dy, He fighting dy, or in the open day The first Imperiall Ensign bear away.” The Bands were thus by exhortation fir’d, 210 Their Leader’s Courage had their Souls inspir’d; They did their Task, & Time had sooner tir’d Than they in doing what their Prince requir’d. The Standards all were taken; this was done Within the Circle’s duplication 215 (Deep mysterys, which a Gallick Prince of old Unto his faithfull Steward did unfold). The Standard taken first was black as either Was German Horse, or wicked Raven’s Feather. The next did many gawdy Colours show 220 And ornamentall as the heavnly Bow. The third was not unlike what they advance In Scutcheons charged with the Arms of France. In the fourth Banner was a Crescent found, And Argent also was the Field around. 225 The fifth was like, but not the very same, Wherein was cypherd the Imperiall Name. This fir’d the Prince’s Valour so that [f. 23v] Another Time pursuing Victory Fought round the Walls. How glorious was the day 230 Wherein he fought, & fighting bore away The true, the great Imperiall Ensign! Fame, Fill now thy Trumpet with the Victour’s name. The glorious Labour now began to tire The Body, tho’ the Soul’s unwearyd Fire; 235 But he returning soon was comforted With the Provisions which his Steward had Duely prepared e’re the Siege was laid. So he was fed, so he returnd again, So he pursu’d the Foes around the Plain, 240 Till they were all in bloody Battle slain. The Captains, his Assistants in the Fight, Each in the Field was dubbd a noble Knight, And so returnd most radiantly bright. Whereby it after came to pass that all 245 The Tyrants, Rulers of this Earthen Ball, Whether themselvs they Emperours doe call, Or Popes, or Turks, or Kings, doe still bow down Before the Powrs of this bewitching Crown. For evry one of these themselvs have sold 250 To this great Lord of Lords, most high & Mighty Gold. So ‘twas decreed by him that rules on high In the eternall Empires of the Sky, Whom let forever & forever more Mankind with all humility adore. 255
