TAYLOR on Thame Isis▪ OR THE DESCRIPTION OF THE TWO FAmous Rivers of Thame and Isis▪ who being conjoined or combined together, are called Thamisis, or Thames.  
With all the Flats, Shore's, Shelves, San●●, Wears, Stops,, Rivers, Brooks, ●ournes Streams, Rills, Rivulets, Streamelets, Cree●● and whatsoever helps the said Rivers have, from their springs, or heads, to their falls into the Ocean.  
As also a discovery of the hindrances which 〈…〉 e impeach the passage of Boats and Barges betwixt the famous University of Oxford, and City of London.  
LONDON, P 〈…〉 d by john Havi 〈…〉. 163●   

TO The Right Honourable Lords, THOMAS Earl of Arundel and Surrey, Earl Martial of England: EDWARD Lord Viscount Wimbleton: Henry Lord Viscount Fawlkland: and Sir Thomas edmond's, Knight, Treasurer of the King's Household: Lords of his Majesty's most Honourable Privy Council, and Commissioners for the Navigation and fishing of the famous Rivers of Thames and Medway.  

RIght Noble Lords, with sorrow I beheld,  
That which to write my duty hath compelled,  
And (from my pen) the Thames flowed to the press,  
From thence it ebbs to you to find redress.  
My Honourable Lord of Dorchester,  
He truly noted in particular,  
Dame Isis' wrongs, and Thames great injuries,  
For they were sad perspectives to his eyes,  
And had his Lordship lived his meaning was  
To make the River passable, to pass.  
For then with noble care and diligence  
He view'dthe helps, and the impediments,  
Which aid, or hinder passage up and down,  
'twixt Oxford City, and brave Winds●…r town;  
Yet as I sometimes rowed and sometimes st●…r'd,  
I viewed wh●…e well, where ill the way appeared;  
And here I have des●…rib'd the way we went,  
Commixing truth with honest merriment,  
My th●…ed-bare wit a mad wool gathering goes,  
To show the things in verse I saw in prose;  
And (Honourable Pe●…res) I humbly crave,  
My artless●… lines may your acceptance have,  
Wis●…ing each fault removed (which st●…nds vnfi●…)  
As soon as you can read what I have writ,  
Desiring God to give y●…u high content  
Here, and here f●…er glory permanent.   
Humbly devoted with his best endevouts to all your Honourable personag●…s,  
JOHN TAYLOR.   

TO The memory of the truly Noble deceased DUDLEY CARLETON, Lord Viscount Dorchester, principal Secretary of State to his Majesty of GREAT BRITAIN.  

IF He be blessed that is of Noble blood,  
And being made great, is both great and good,  
Who is a Christian every way complete,  
Who holds it better to be good than great,  
Whose life was guided with good Conscience,  
Whose end was saving faith and penitence,  
These blessings Noble Dorchester were thine,  
And these have made thee ' Immortal and divine.    

To any Body.  

I That ne'er tasted the Castalian fount,  
Or came in ken of the Thessalian Mount;  
I that could ne'er attain to wet my lips,  
With Tempe's liquor, or sweet Aga●…pps,  
Who never yet have so much favour won,  
To purchase one carouse from Helicon,  
Who with good Poets dare compare no way  
But one, which is in being poor as they;  
And having never seen the Muse's hill,  
Am plentifully stored with want of skill,  
Then Fount, or Mount, nor sacred trebl●… trine,  
Are no assistants in this work of mine:  
But ancient Isis' current crystal spring  
Inspires my brain, and I her praises sing,  
And Tame with Isis joins his pearly streams,  
Whose combination are my ampletheames;  
Though (for the most part) in the tracts I tread,  
Of learned Camden, Speed, and Hollinshead,  
And Draytons' painful Polyolbyon,  
Whose fame shall live, despite oblivion,  
These are the guides I follow, with pretence  
T'abbreuiate and extract their Quint-essence;  
Nor can it be to them disparagement,  
That I come after in the ways they went,  
For they of former writers followers be,  
I follow them, and some may follow me;  
And man to man a Precedent is made  
In Art or Science, mystery or Trade,  
As they before these River's bounds did show,  
Here I come after with my Pen and row.    

TAYLOR ON THAME ISIS.  

Our patron Phoebus, whose sweet influence,  
Doth quicken all our reason, life and sense,  
'tis he makes grass to grow, & River's sprin●  
He makes both my songs, subject, and me sin●  
His beams the waters do extenuate  
To vapours, and those vapours elevate  
Into the middle Region, where they tumble,  
And melt, and then descend and are made humble,  
Moistening the face of many a spacious hill,  
Where soaking deep the hollow vaults they fill,  
Where into Rivers they again break out,  
So nature in a circle runs about.  
Large Downs do treasure up great store of rain,  
Whose bowels vent it in the vales again:  
No place in England could a treasure keep,  
Thames to maintain, but Coteswould (queen of sheep  
In Glostershire (my dearest motherearth)  
From whose fair City I derive my birth,  
Are Coteswould hills, and in the farthest cliff  
Of all those hills of Isis' head is chief:  
Scholars from Gloster that to Oxford ride  
The truth of my assertion oft have tried;  
On their right hand near Cubberley they pass,  
Two Wells as sweet as milk, as clear as glass,  
Whence Isis first doth pedigree derive,  
Those two are able there two mills to drive.  
At Burton on the water, south from Stow 
Corruptly called Stow the old.   
Upon the Would, great veins of waters flow  
To Burford, and to Witney, and along  
Till they make meadows large, and Isis' strong.  
The famous River Isis hath her spring  
Near Tetbury, and down along doth bring  
As handmaids) to attend her progress, Churn,  
Colne, Windrush, Yenload, Leech, whose windings turn,  
And Meads, and Pastures trims, bedecks, and dresses,  
Like an unvaluable chain of ESSES.  
After relief of many a Duck and Goose,  
At Saint john's bridge they make their rendezvous,  
And there like robbers crossing London way,  
Bid many a barefoot Welshman wade or stay.  
Close under Oxford one of England's eyes,  
Chief of the chiefest Universities,  
From Banbury desirous to add knowledge  
To zeal, and to be taught in Magdalen College,  
The River Charwell doth to Isis run,  
And bears her company to Abington,  
Whilst very near that town on Berkshire side,  
The River Ock doth into Isis glide;  
These fountains and fish-breeding Rivulets,  
(The Country's nurses, nourishers, and teats,)  
Attend Dame Isis down to Dorchester,  
Near which her lovely Tame doth meet with her,  
There Tame his Isis doth embrace and kiss,  
Both joined in one, called Tame or Tame Isis,  
Isis like Salmacis becomes with Tame  
Hermaphrodite in nature and in name.  
Tame doth derive his Spring or Pedigree  
Near Mesworth in the vale of Aylsbury,  
From whence he many miles with strange meanders,  
To find his lovely Isis slowly wanders,  
Through fertile lands a quiet course he keeps,  
Till Southward under Whately bridge he creeps,  
And (like a Pilgrim) travels all alone,  
No Brook or River waiting him upon,  
Only three nameless Rivulets and two springs,  
Which very privately their tribute brings,  
Bewailing Isis' absence, and his fate,  
Poor Tame all heavy and disconsolate,  
●…nnauigable, scorned, despised, disgraced,  
●…auing in vain so many paces paced;  
●…espairing and quite desperate with these harms,  
●…e hurls himself unwares in Isis' arms;  
●…or closer can the bark be to the tree,  
●…han their infoldings and embracings be;  
●…hey rise and fall together, and they are  
●…n want and plenty to have equal share;  
●…d Tame with Isis will be both one river,  
●…ill in the Oc●…n they their names deliver.  
●…t Wallingford and Pangbourne, two small ri●…s,  
●…heir homages to Thamisis instils.  
●…he more the river runs, the more 'tis spreading,  
●…ill in its course it falls as low as Reading,  
●…here Kennet kindly comes with force and source,  
●…o aid and help Thamisis in their course.  
●…he head of Kennet is near Ramsbury,  
●…assing to Hungerford by Newbury.  
●…he ●…iner Anborne out of Hampshire ●…ies,  
●…o Kennet with some nameless small supplies  
●…f pe●…ic rills, which passing here and there,  
●…ho to repeat, tedious and needless were.  
●…o Sunning and by Bisham Thames descends  
●…o Marlowe (called great) from whence it wends;  
●…hereas a little rill from Wickham town,  
●…o wait upon the Thames comes gliding down;  
Then pleasantly the river takes free way  
To Topley hills, by Maidenhead and Bray,  
Till it to Windsor and to Stanes doth win,  
And there the river Colne comes gliding in:  
Colne hath its head or spring in Hartfordshire,  
At Abbot's Langley, or else very near,  
With some small petty rils and rivulets,  
By Colbrooke unto Stanes and Thames it gets,  
The river Wey, with diverse nameless springs  
Near Chertsey, unto Thames their service brings.  
Wey (beyond Guildford) helped with creeks and crooks,  
At last at oatland's towards Sunbury looks,  
And there a little rill, (scarce worth a line)  
In Middlesex doth with the Thames combine.  
Near Reygate town the river Mole is found,  
Bearing its course, runs (Mole-like) under ground;  
But rising up by Notbury again,  
At Molsey it the Thames doth entertain.  
From Ewell town the river Brent makes haste,  
Who by the Thames is lovingly embraced:  
Next which is Chiswicke town, and Hammersmith,  
It entertains a rill, or little frith,  
And after that below, near Wandsworth mill,  
Comes in another ●…rooke or nameless rill;  
Thus I the river bring; and it brings me  
From their first springs to London bridge you see.  
Now from the bridge below descend I must,  
Till Thames itself doth in the Ocean thrust,  
And if my pains to good men prove a pleasure,  
My gain's beyond my merit, beyond measure,  
Of Watermen, men scarce can find a Slower,  
Yet hay, to Gravesend ho and somewhat lower.  
Brave London Bridge claims right pre-eminence  
For strength, and Architects magnificence,  
To be true None-such, for no eye beheld  
A bridge which it each way hath paralleled.  
The arches (Tame and Isis) shady bowers,  
Through which both East and West in twice twelve hours  
Twice Neptune greets it flowing from the Main,  
And twice the river sends it back again,  
And as the floods or ebbs increase or falls,  
They through the arches murmur Madrigals,  
Whilst th' Eddies diverse ways doth turn and trace,  
Tame doth with Isis dance the wild goose chase,  
From this rare matchless piece of workmanship,  
I with the tide of Ebb must quickly slip,  
And down into the River Lea I hie,  
That parts Midsaxon from East Saxony.  
Which river falls from Ware to Walthamstow,  
And down by Layton unto Stratford Bow,  
Some call it Lea, but Camden calls it Stowre,  
And near Blackwall it in the Thames doth pour,  
Next Rodeing is (a Brook or river small)  
Which Ford from Berking into Thames doth fall.  
From Havering, Burntwood and from Ockingdon,  
Three little Rils into the Thames do run,  
theyare nameless, or scarce worth the nomination.  
And so on Essex side I end my station.  
And now I'll cross into the County Kent  
To note what rivers from her bound are sent,  
To wait upon the mighty bigswolne Thames,  
Who now is grown the Prince of Britain's streams.  
By Bromley glides the river Ravensburne  
To Deptford down with many a wand'ring turn,  
The river Darrent is the next and last,  
Which down by Dartford into Thames is cast.  
And thus from Gloucester shire near Tetbury  
And Buckingham shire close by Aylsbury,  
I have brought Isis and her partner Tame  
With twenty seven helps losing each their name,  
Who spend themselves to make the Thames grow great,  
Till (below Lee) it lose both name and seat,  
Through many Countries as these waters pass,  
They make the Pastures fructify in grass:  
cattle grow fat, and cheese and butter Cheap,  
hay in abundance, Corn by strick and heap,  
Beasts breed, and Fish increase, fowls multiply,  
It brings wood, Cole, and Timber plenteously:  
It bears the lame and weak, makes fat the lean,  
And keeps whole towns and countries sweet and clean;  
Were't not for Thames (as heavens high hand doth bless it)  
We neither could have fish, or fire to dress it,  
The very Brewers would be at a fault,  
And buy their water dearer than their malt,  
And had they malt and water at desire,  
What shift (a God's name) would they make for fire?  
There's many a Seaman, many a Navigator,  
Watermen, fishers, bargemen on this water,  
Themselves and families beyond compare,  
In number more than hundred thousands are,  
Who do their Prince and Country often serve,  
And were't not for this river might go starve;  
And for the good to England it hath done,  
Shall it to spoil and ruin be let run?  
Shall p●…iuate persons for their gainful use,  
Engross the water and the land abuse,  
Shall that which God and nature gives us free,  
For use and profit in community,  
Be barred from men, and damned up as in Thames,  
(A shameless avarice surpassing shames;)  
I speak not of the river's bounds below,  
Whereas the tides perpetual ebb and flow,  
Nor is the r●…er wanting much repair,  
Within the bounds of London's honoured Mayor,  
Which limits all are clear from stakes and piles,  
Beyond Stanes bridge (that's more than forty miles)  
But I (from Oxford) down to Stanes will slide,  
And tell the rivers wrongs which I espied,  
Not doubting but good minds their powers will lend,  
T' endeavour these abuses to amend:  
Therefore I pray the Readers to dispense,  
And pardon my abrupt intelligence.  
From Oxford two miles Ifley distant is,  
And there a new turn pike doth stand amiss,  
Another stands at Stanford, below that,  
Weeds, shelves, and shoals all waterless and flat;  
At Newnham lock there's placed a fishing wear,  
A gra●…ell hill too high, scarce water there;  
At Abington the shoals are worse and worse,  
That Swift ditch seems to be the better course,  
Below which town near Sutton there are left  
Piles that almost our Barges bottom cleft;  
Then Sutton locks are great impediments,  
The waters fall with such great violence,  
Thence down to Cullom, stream runs quick and quick  
Yet we rubbed twice a ground for want of liquor.  
The Wear of Carpenter's sans fault I think,  
But yet near Witnum town a tree did sink,  
Whereas by fortune we our Barge did hit,  
And by misfortune there a board was split;  
At Clif on there are rocks, and sands, and flats,  
Which made us wade, and wet like drowned rats,  
●he passage bare, the water often gone,  
●nd rocks smooth worn, do pave it like free stone.  
from Clifton down to Wallingford we fleet,  
Where (for annoyance) piles are placed unmeet;  
from thence our Oars did down the river draw,  
●ntill we came unto a mongrel Spa,  
〈◊〉 Bath, a Spring, a Fountain, or a Rill,  
●ha● issues from the bowels of a hill,  
〈◊〉 hill it may be termed, or demie mountain,  
from out whose entralls springs this newfound fountain,  
Whose water (clear as Crystal, sweet as honey,)  
Cures all diseases (except want of money,)  
〈◊〉 helps the Palsy, Cramp, or Apoplexy,  
scab scurf, or scald, or dropsy if it vex ye,  
●he Pleurisy, the Lethargy, Strangury,  
●t cures the Cataracke, and the Stone assure ye;  
●he headache, Megrim, Canker, or the Mumps,  
Mange, Murrians, Measles, Melancholy dumps,  
●t is of virtue, vigour, and of force  
●o drive all maladies from man or horse;  
Helped of a Tertian ague I saw one,  
Weak, and not worth the ground he went upon)  
Who drank the water mingled with the clay,  
And presently the Ague ran away;  
It cures an old sore, or a bruised blow;  
It made the deaf to hear, the lame to go;  
One dumb came thither, and straightway disputed,  
And on the trees are crutches executed;  
To heal green wounds it hath such Sovereign power,  
It cured a broken pate in half an hour,  
Which sconce was cracked on purpose to th'intent,  
To try the virtue of the Element.  
If any man imagine I do lie,  
Let him go thither, break his pate and try.  
Some say cracked maidenheads are there new sodered,  
I'm sure the hill with beggars is embroidered,  
And all those beggars are with little cost,  
With louse and scabs embroidered and embossed;  
And as it were the Well of Aristotle,  
The water is far fetched in many a bottle,  
The clay mixed with the liquor kills the Corns,  
Ah could it cure some Cuckolds of their horns,  
It would have patients out of every climate,  
More than my patience could endure to rhyme at,  
And had it but the virtue to surcease  
Some clamorous tongues, and make them hold their pea●…  
Thousands of husbands would their wives send thither;  
That they might be recovered all together.  
Apothecaries I lament your lots,  
Your medicines now will mould in Gallipots,  
●…ur drugs with barbarous names unbought will lie,  
●…d waste and languish in obscurity,  
●…ill beggar all the Quacksalvers outright,  
〈◊〉 all our Mountebanks are undone quite,  
〈◊〉 what's become of me? can any tell?  
●…od Reader help me out of this strange well;  
●…with my pen its praise did mean to touch,  
●…nd it (I fear) hath made me write too much,  
●…hich if I have, let your constructions be,  
●…ame the strange working waters and not me:  
●…ut he that says that I do overdo,  
●…et him go thither and he'll do so to;  
〈◊〉 farewell, Well, well fare thou, still excel,  
●…crease in operation, Well farewell.  
〈◊〉 eath the fountain, next is Cleave locks fall,  
●…d near to that a lock men Goring call,  
●…ut having past the lock at goring there,  
●…t Master Coltons' house we had good cheer,  
●…ith hearty welcome, but 'twas for his sake  
●…hat d●…d this hopeful business undertake,  
●…et with our hearty thanks we thank them all,  
●…hat dined us like a solemn festival.  
●…rom thence to Hearts lock downward we descended,  
●…d next to Whitchurch lock which must be mended,  
●…ecause the waters turn so swift and various,  
〈◊〉 'gainst our wills to dangerous courses carry us:  
Next there's a Wear, that if it had its right,  
Should be well libed, or else removed quite;  
Below that Maple Ducham lock appears,  
Where stands three faulty and untoward Wears;  
Then near the bridge of Caversham there is  
One Welbecks Wear, fit to be moved I wis;  
As past the lock at Caversham we row,  
We found the river very foul below,  
With weeds and hills of mud and gravel choked.  
That with our Oars and staffs we thrust and poked.  
Next Breaches Wear near Sunning naught doth lie,  
And Sunning lock the groundsel is too high,  
Besides two Gin-holes that are very bad  
And Sunning bridge much need of mending had;  
Haules' Wear doth almost cross the river all,  
Making the passage strait and very small,  
How can that man be counted a good liver  
That for his private use will stop a river?  
Shiplocke, or Cottrels' lock stand very near,  
Not from that far is Elmes his fishing wear,  
Whereas the river's case is altered well,  
For Master Ployden near that place doth dwell;  
Marsh lock is placed a little above Henly,  
And there the Thames is kept indifferent cleanly,  
And here at Henly once in fifteen years,  
A River stranger in the street appears,  
Whose cistern in the Woods his wealth doth gather,  
●…n that long space, and cannot get it rather,  
B●…t gotten out of high-way-flouds, and leaves,  
A●… Dutchmen keep the drops of their house-eves.  
The cistern fills and then the walls break down,  
And send their stowage unto Henly town,  
An●…ther fifteen years the walls repair,  
And fill the place with rain or thawed air,  
And being so replenished in that space,  
It runs (rub rub) close by the bowling place.  
Near Henly (some three quarters of a mile)  
A little I'll digress and change my style.  
Should I forget the good judge Whitlocks love,  
Unmannered and ungrateful I should prove,  
It was about the time (as I remember)  
In August, some five days before September)  
We landed near the noble judge's harbour,  
(With stomaches sharp as razor of a Barber)  
The time was short, we neither toyd nor trifled,  
The Kitchen, Pantry, Pastry straight we rifled;  
The Cellar and the Buttery both we foraged,  
By which brave booty we were much encouraged,  
S●…ke and good Claret drawn from Tierce and Punchion,  
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one whole day, and two evenings' Nunchion;  
Ou●… b●…ead as good as ever baker sifted,  
Ou●… wine (rare wine) as ere to mouth was lifted,  
And in our business (though we all were hasty)  
We did surprise an excellent Venison pasty,  
We there did save the labour of inviters;  
Whole joints of mutton proved us good sheepbiters,  
Our beer was bravely boiled and strongly malted,  
Our Pigeon Pie was peppered well and salted,  
Most tender Chickens, Pullet, and a Capon,  
We (in our fury) did commit a rape on;  
A mighty scarlet Lobster last we seized,  
And so with these Acchats our minds were eased,  
But that which made our viands taste the better,  
Was welcome, which made each of us a debtor;  
And long may he and his survive and flourish,  
That did poor travellers so kindly nourish,  
These lines are writ in duty to express  
Our love, our duty, and our thankfulness.  
From thence we hied us with the stream and wind,  
And in the Barge at noon we bravely dined,  
And as our meat our grateful minds did move,  
We drank judge Whitlocks health to show our love.  
Then came we to a lock called Hambleton,  
Whereas the stream a handsome course doth run;  
Next Mednam Weare doth speedy mending lack,  
It puts the Thames, and Thames puts it to wrack,  
And near Frogge-mill two paltry stops there are,  
That in the River take too great a share;  
〈◊〉 at Harley, and a Wear below,  
●…lmost a stop, (fit to be cleared I know;)  
●…hen Temple lock, ' bouc Bisham Church there is,  
●…eneath which is a Wear somewhat amiss,  
●…hen Marlowe lock is worst I must confess,  
●…he water is so pinched with shallowness,  
●…eneath which is a Wear should be defaced,  
●…nd Cottrels Wear of Cookham be displaced.  
〈◊〉 Wear doth to one holderness belong,  
●…hich doth the river most in●…ious wrong,  
●…eare which a Spring runs from the chalky hills,  
●…he which (not long ago) did drive two mills,  
〈◊〉 stop against Toplow Warren much doth spread  
●…ext Bolters lock, (a mile from Maidenhead.)  
●…hus have I passed the locks, now wears and stops,  
●…rom thence as far as Stanes mine Inkhorn drops.  
●…oue Maidenhead bridge a stop and one beneath,  
●…hich both to be amended I bequeath;  
●…gainst Bray church, and Bray mill, stand three more,  
●…different bad as any were before;  
〈◊〉 stop at Water Oakley naught doth lie,  
●…t Rudles pool the gravel hills too high,  
●…he water turns so short, and runs so quick,  
●…hat oft the Barges there a ground do strick;  
●…eare Boveney Church a dangerous stop is found,  
●…n which five passengers were lately drowned;  
Below the bridge at Windsor (passing thus)  
Some need less p●…les stand very perilous:  
Near Eton College is a stop and wear,  
Whose absence well the river may forbear;  
A stop, a wear, a dangerous s●…nke tree,  
No●… far from 〈◊〉 Ferry are all three;  
A graue●…l bed, two stops and stakes beside,  
Agai●…st and near old Windsor Church we spied,  
With 〈◊〉 stops more we saw near Ankerwike,  
And near my Lord Mayor's stone we saw the like,  
Besides an 〈◊〉 or Island there we found,  
Hedged far 〈◊〉 into the stream to gain more ground:  
From Stanes we passed to Lallum gulls, most shallow,  
Whereas ●…iue Barges fast aground did wallow;  
And su●…h a trolling current there did set,  
That we were vildly puzzled by to get;  
Tumbling 'twixt Middlesex and Surrey land,  
We came where Chertseyes' crooked bridge doth stand,  
Which s●…re was made all by lefthanded men,  
The like of it was never in my ken;  
Wiw waw to Oakam ward, kim kam, kiwwaw,  
That through i●… men can hardly set or row,  
That's the last fault I found that merits note,  
And down from thence we merrily did ●…lote.  
Thus have I showed Thames wrongs in general,  
And wish they may be moved, or mended all;  
And who can but with pity here behold  
These multitudes of mischiefs manifold?  
Shall Thames be barred its course with stops and locks,  
With Mils, and hills, with gravel beds, and rocks:  
With wears, and weeds, and forced Lands made,  
To spoil a public for a private Trade?  
Shame fall the doers, and Almighty's blessing  
Be heaped upon their heads that seek redressing.  
Were such a business to be done in Flanders  
Or Holland 'mongst the industrious Netherlanders,  
They to deep passages would turn our hills,  
To Windmills they would change our watermils.  
All helps unto this river they would aid,  
And all impediments should be destroyed:  
Our vagabonds (the wandering brood of Cain,)  
They would enforce those runagates take pain,  
Whereby much profit quickly would accrue,  
(For labour robs the hangman of his due.)  
In common reason, all men must agree  
That if the river were made clean and free,  
One Barge, with eight poor men's industrious pains,  
Would carry more than forty carts or wanes.  
And every wain to draw them horses five,  
And each two men or boys to guide or drive,  
Charge of an hundred horse and 80. men  
With eight men's labour would be served then,  
Thus men would be employed, and horse preserved,  
And all the Country at cheap rates be served.  
'tis said the Dutchmen taught us drink and swill,  
I'm sure we go beyond them in that skill,  
I wish (as we exceed them in what's bad,)  
That we some portion of their goodness had:  
Then should this worthy work be soon begun,  
And with successful expedition done:  
Which I despair not of, but humbly plead,  
That God his blessings will increase and spread  
On them that love this work, and on their heirs,  
Their goods and chattels, and on all that's theirs:  
I wish them blessed external, and internal,  
And in the end with happiness eternal.   
FINIS.   

I Have almost finished another small book which I will name, ALL WATERS, wherein I have treated of the strange diversities of waters, and also I have described and explained the various dispositions of watermen, their lawful uses, and their unlawful abuses, neither flattering, sparing, or wronging any good or ill, which I know either by them or myself, not omitting any thing that may tend in the praise of their honest trade and conditions, nor inserting any thing to cover their causeless injuries, which many of them have done to me and others; for they have lately cast out scandalous libels, and defaming speeches against me, and I must make them know, that I am not of that tame patience to forbear them, who are knowin●… to be nothing but rumour and rabble; therefore upon such I must right myself in print.