These, worthiest Prince, are set you near to read,
That civil arts the martial must precede :
That laws and trade bring honours in and gain,
And arms defensive a safe peace maintain.
But when your fate shall call you forth t'assure
Your virtue more, though not to make secure,
View here, what great examples she hath placed.
First, two brave Britain heroes, that were graced
To fight their Saviour's battles, and did bring
Destruction on the faithless; one a king,
Richard, surnamed with the lion's heart,
The other Edward, and the first, whose part
(Then being but prince) it was to lead these wars
In the age after, but with better stars.
For here though Cœur de Lion like a storm
Pour on the Saracens, and do perform
Deeds past an angel, arm'd with wrath and fire,
Ploughing whole armies up, with zealous ire,
And walled cities, while he doth defend
That cause that should all wars begin and end;
Yet when with pride, and for humane respect
The Austrian colours he doth here deject
With too much scorn, behold at length how fate
Makes him a wretched prisoner to that state;
And leaves him, as a mark of fortune's spight,
When princes tempt their stars beyond their light:
Whilst upright Edward shines no less than he,
Under the wings of golden victory,
Nor lets out no less rivers of the blood
Of infidels, but makes the field a flood,
And marches through it, with St. George's cross,
Like Israel's host to the Egyptians' loss,
Through the Red Sea; the earth beneath him
cold,
And quaking such an enemy to behold.
For which his temper'd zeal, see providence
Flying in here, and arms him with defence.
Against th' assassinate made upon his life
By a foul wretch, from whom he wrests the knife,
And gives him a just hire which yet remains
A warning to great chiefs, to keep their trains
About them still, and not, to privacy,
Admit a hand that may use treachery.
Nearer than these, not for the same high cause,
Yet for the next (what was his right by laws
Of nations due) doth fight that Mars of men
The black prince Edward, 'gainst the French, who
then
At Cressy field had no more years than you;
Here his glad father has him in the view
As he is entering in the school of war,
And pours all blessings on him from afar
That wishes can; whilst he, that close of day,
Like a young lion newly taught to prey,
Invades the herds, so fled the French, and tears
From the Bohemian crown the plume he wears,
Which after for his crest he did preserve
To his father's use, with this fit word, I SERVE.
But here at Poictiers he was Mars indeed.
Never did valour with more stream succeed
Than he had there; he flow'd out like a sea
Upon their troops, and left their arms no way :
Or like a fire carried with high winds
Now broad, and spreading, by and by it finds
A vent upright, to look which way to burn;
Then shoots along again, or round doth turn,
Till in the circling spoil it hath embraced
All that stood nigh, or in the reach to waste :
Such was his rage that day; but then forgot,
Soon as his sword was sheath'd, it lasted not,
After the king, the dauphin, and French peers
By yielding to him, wisely quit their fears,
Whom he did use with such humanity,
As they complain'd not of captivity;
But here to England without shame came in :
To be his captives, was the next to win.
Yet rests the other thunderbolt of war,
Harry the fifth, to whom in face you are
So like, as fate would have you so in worth,
Illustrious prince. This virtue ne'er came forth,
But Fame flew greater for him, than she did
For other mortals; Fate herself did bid
To save his life: the time it reach'd unto,
War knew not how to give him enough to do.
His very name made head against his foes.
And here at Agincourt, where first it rose,
It there hangs still a comet over France,
Striking their malice blind, that dare advance
A thought against it, lighten'd by your flame
That shall succeed him both in deeds and name.
I could report more actions yet of weight
Out of this orb, as here of eighty-eight,
Against the proud Armada, styled by Spain
The INVINCIBLE; that cover'd all the main,
As if whole islands had broke loose, and swam,7
Or half of Norway with her fir trees came
6 Harry the fifth, to whom in face you are
So like, as fate would have you so in worth.] I do not remember this particular taken notice of by historians, in their description of prince Henry's person: the poet, however, would hardly have stretch'd the compliment so far, had it not been so in fact. WHAL.
It is noticed, though it escaped Whalley. The courtiers are said to have made the observation with a view to please the Queen. This is mere ill nature. At any rate, as far as personal beauty was concerned, Henry the fifth might have taken the compliment without offence.
Jonson has omitted the machinery, which must have been very magnificent; but it is probable that Merlin pointed with his wand to some moving scenery, on which the events detailed by him, were depicted.
As if whole islands had broke loose and swam.]
Pelago credas innare revulsas
Cycladas aut montes concurrere montibus altas.
To join the continents, it was so great;
Yet by the auspice of Eliza beat:
That dear-beloved of heaven, whom to preserve
The winds were call'd to fight, and storms to serve.
One tumour drown'd another, billows strove
T'out-swell ambition, water air out-drove :
Though she not wanted, on that glorious day,
An ever-honour'd Howard to display
St. George's ensign; and of that high race
A second, both which plied the fight and chase:
And sent first bullets, then a fleet of fire,
Then shot themselves like ordnance; and a tire
Of ships for pieces, through the enemies' moon,
That waned before it grew and now they soon
Are rent, spoil'd, scatter'd, tost with all disease,
And for their thirst of Britain drink the seas.
The fish were never better fed than then,
Although at first they fear'd the blood of men
Had chang'd their element, and Neptune shook,
As if the Thunderer had his palace took.
So here in Wales, Low Countries, France and
Spain,
You may behold, both on the land and main,
The conquest got, the spoils, the trophies rear'd
By British kings, and such as noblest heard
8 That dear-beloved of heav'n, whom to preserve
The winds were call'd to fight, and storms to serve.] Historians have not omitted to take notice of the violent storm, which the Spanish Armada met with, as it drew near the English coast, which dispersed the fleet, and destroyed many of its best vessels. This was at that time apprehended as a providential interposal of heaven, nor were the queen or nation wanting in their just acknowledgments for a medal was struck, which had on the reverse of it a navy in a storm with this inscription, Flavit ventis, et dissipati sunt. Our poet has expressed this circumstance from Claudian:
O nimium dilecte Deo, cui fundit ab antro
Eolus armatas hyemes, cui militat æther,
Et conjurati veniunt ad classica venti. WHAL.
Of all the nation, which may make to invite
Your valour upon need, but not to incite
Your neighbour princes, give them all their due,
And be prepared if they will trouble you.
He doth but scourge himself, his sword that draws
Without a purse, a counsel, and a cause.
But all these spurs to virtue, seeds of praise, Must yield to this that comes. Here's one will
Your glory more, and so above the rest,
As if the acts of all mankind were prest
In his example. Here are kingdoms mix'd
And nations join'd, a strength of empire fix'd
Conterminate with heaven; the golden vein
Of Saturn's age is here broke out again.
Henry but join'd the roses, that ensign'd
Particular families, but this hath join'd
The rose and thistle, and in them combined
A union, that shall never be declined.
Ireland, that more in title, than in fact,
Before was conquer'd, is his laurels act!
The wall of shipping by Eliza made,
Decay'd (as all things subject are to fade)
He hath new-built, or so restored, that men
For noble use, prefer it afore then :
Royal and mighty James, whose name shall set
A goal for all posterity to sweat,
In running at, by actions hard and high :
This is the height at which your thoughts must fly.
He knows both how to govern, how to save,
What subjects, what their contraries should have,
What can be done by power, and what by love,
What should to mercy, what to justice move:
All arts he can, and from the hand of Fate
Hath he enforced the making his own date.
Within his proper virtue hath he placed
His guards 'gainst Fortune, and there fixed fast
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