WIGORNIA, (Worcester.)  
A POEM.   portrait of a woman 
By HERBERT WALWYN.  
LONDON, Printed, and Sold by E. Whitlock, near Stationers-Hall, 1697.   

WIGORNIA  
A POEM.  

NIgh where 
a A Royal Lady of that Name thrown into the River, and from whom it had its denomination.  Sabrina sweeps her Silver Trai●  
And wears her liquid Path along a 
b A large Meadow called Pitchcraft.  Plain,  
Stands WIGORN; hastening unto whose Embrace  
She forwards with a Willing Lover's pace:  
Swelling her Breasts, her spacious Bosom fair,  
Full fraught with Love she spends enjoying there.  
The Noble 
c A Hill, whence vast quantities of Coals are brought down the Severn to Worcester, and supplies all the County at cheapest Rates.  Clee her breast with Passion fires,  
Which here breaks out, and in bright Flames expires;  
But her exhaustless Vigour still returns,  
For ever kindles, and for ever burns:  
For here the Goddess leaves her Household Streams,  
To come ashore, and puts on all her beams:  
Then with Maternal look surveys the Shire,  
And where she sees it wanting, Blazes there.  
Meadows with Grass she cloaths, with Wool the Fold,  
And with both Cloth and Fire expels the Cold:  
Cloth which the Ambitious Sultan begs to wear,  
And his best part of Majesty has here;  
And Fire, which had Prometheus but knew,  
He had forbore his Theft, and 'scap'd the Vengeance too.   

Rocks have obliged the 
d Exod. 17.6.  Good with Streams before,  
But here a Stream with Rocks obliges more:  

'Tis the same Hand is working for them Yet,  
He from 
e A Hill in Montgomery-shire, where the River Severn has its rise.  Plinlimon Mount the River fet,  
Then tamed its unbacked force with loads of Jet.   
Peter, that on a Floor of Water trod 
f Matth. 14.29, 30. ,  
And kneeling on the Mercy, thanked his God,  
Might here with Steps more sure, but Thanks as due,  
Trust his own Feet, and Praise his Saviour too.   

Dolphins, who as the Shipwrecked Seamen say,  
On their kind Backs them to safe Land convey,  
Are here by better Natured 
g Salmon.  Fish outdone,  
That Danger to prevent, ashore do run.  
That harmless Other, whose mischievous make  
Excites Revenge, by being like a Snake,  
Strips off his slime, and comes a willing Prey,  
With him his elder Brother Lampery;  
These, and innumerable other Fish,  
Sing in their Pans, for Joy they have their Wish.   

Thrice happy Worster, thy Felicity  
Is perfected by added Constancy;  
Yoked by thy Bridge fling o'er her spreading Tide,  
Thou hast her ever fastened by thy side.  
But Thou as conscious of thy 
h Built by the Romans.  Ancient Birth,  
And recollecting Yet thy Native Worth,  
Thinkest still of Caesar, not as dead but come,  
With his Transported Empire here from Rome:  
William is Caesar with a Christian Name,  
So thou besides a Christian art the same:  
Therefore receivest Tribute in his right,  
Won by his Sword in the famed 
i Which they fortified, and made their Frontier against the Welsh.  British Fight.   

But thou hast doffed the sullen looks of War,  
And left the Mercian 
k Heretofore a distinct Kingdom, by that Name, with Princes of its own.  Realm to Caesar's Care:  
Thy Armor's needless now thy Master's here,  
Thy Master that does the Old 
l Veni, Vidi, Vici.  Motto wear.   

Churches are all the Forts thou usest now,  
And those well lined with mounted Cannon too:  
Terrors of Vice, if managed but aright,  
And not turned back upon thee in the Fight.  
This is the talked of Heavenly Tempered Shield,  
Which thy divine Achilles knows to wield.   

Sexuulphus 
m First Bishop of Worster, and Founder of the Cathedral.  Piety does here appear,  
Like his Mind great, his Judgement regular;  
No Novice; Colleges my thinks should be,  
Like 
n 1 Timothy 3, & 6.  Bishops from that Imputation free.  
Th' Apostle's Rule at least is followed here,  
Although neglected by himself 
o Alluding to St. Paul's in London, new Building.  elsewhere.   

What time (and Time does much to Words, and Works,  
To English Preachers, and to English Kirks)  
Did raze and alter, fresher times took care,  
And (Piety renewed) did new repair.  
Not but the Holy Man was sometimes blamed,  
That it was not to please all Humours framed;  

Like Nezer's Statue, Gold, and Brass, and Clay;  
But then alas it had Headless been, some day  
The traitorous Head would he looked the wrong way.    

Remembered Years have seen an Hostile Rout  
Pull of her Roof, and tear her 
p In the last Civil War, its Leads and Organs were took away.  Bowels out:  
As if 'twere not enough the World should see,  
And senseless of God's Omnipresency,  
Let in Wide Heaven th' Impiety to View,  
Defieing both th' One and th' Other too.  
The Churches Leads they into Bullets formed,  
And vainly thought they then had God disarmed:  
In Magazines of Life they chose out Death,  
So some Men suck the Plague in with their Breath;  
Heaven saw the Challenge, and the Church to screen,  
The whilst his Vengeance heated, stood between  
Ruin and it; then Poured his Vials forth,  
And Force repaid with Force, and 
q Alluding to the violent Deaths of the Chief Fomenters of that War on both sides.  Wrath with Wrath:  
Instructed Ire the Seeds of Discord swep  
From every Party to one common heap;  
Then burned it up, the Ashes cured the Wound,  
By divine Art applied the Church made sound.   

Here Arthur [wisest 
r King Henry the 7th,  Henry's wiser Son]  
Did from a Crown to Sanctuary run,  
And tired with State-noise here laid him down,  
And was in Life and Death the next a 
s King John there also Buried.  Crown.   

The Palace next, the Bishops long abode,  
Stands with an humble Boldness near its God:  
A Place 'twas sure by Providence designed  
For the just Medium of a Prelate's Mind:  

t Between the College and the Severn.  Between the two extremes of Cold, and Heat,  
The Atheists chillness, and the Zealots sweat.  
One side, the Palace looks into the flood,  
The other is by the Cathedral viewed:  
That side, the Severn stands as 'twere at Bay,  
Viewing the Place, unmindful of its way,  
Holding her Mirror for who dares to look,  
And read the impartial Story of her Book.  
I did, and to my thinking plain was seen  
Th' impression where the Palace had been in.  
The Stream was deep, and the House safe on Ground,  
I Chid my Sight, and said it would he drowned  
Had it been there; at which Sabrina smiled,  
And after Invocation answered mild:  
" What thou seest [Son] engraved upon my Breast,  
" Is Figure, and as such is there expressed.  
I answered not the Oracle, but bowed,  
And the fair Shape sunk down beneath her flood;  
Yet as she went, my thought she would have said,  
" Put up thy Pious Anger, spare the Dead.  
This Prohibition sealed up all but thought,  
And a deep Sighs or two I straightway fetched;  
And then I thanked my God, and thanked the King,  
That took the one, and did the other bring.   


More to the Left, in the same Neighbourhood,  
Stands the round Mount whereon the 
u Built by a Sheriff or Governor of the City, in despite of, and to Command and Terrify the Clergy, oft times burnt down, and Ages ago utterly ruined.  Castle stood,  
That with stern disregard did there intrude.   
But as the Giants felt the dreadful Odds,  
When their Height thought to overtop the Gods,  

This greater Son of Earth with the same Hope,  
Making the Church his Foe, and not his Prop,  
Lowered to destruction his presuming Top.    


w The City.  Here every Virtue has her several Seat,  
Each to her Quality becoming great:  
Religion Temples, Justice has her Hall,  
And 
x 1 Cor. 13.13.  Charity the biggest of them all.   

The Streets are wide and open as their Hearts,  
Breathing out Kindness to the Neighbouring Parts,  
In all the Forms of Industry and Arts.   


Oh would but Fate proportion to their Loom  
The Threads of Life, than Death would never come,  
And Worster would adjourn the Day of Doom.   

The pliant Wool drawn by ten thousand Hands,  
To length scarce finite, would outreach the Spans  
Of Life, tho' tied in one throughout all Times and Lands.   
But since the Sisters will use their own make,  
Purposely brittle, and so apt to break;  
So cautious and wary is the Town,  
They piece it up, and Wove it with their 
y Alluding to their great Clothing Trade.  own;  
That Fate to come at one, must break through both,  
And e'er it takes their Lives must Spoil their Cloth.   

This Natural as their Skins the English wear,  
And all true Sterling Cloth is minted here.   

What Wonders should be spoke, that do reside  
Within the circuit of thy Province wide:  

Nature with varied hand does draw Delight  
To all Perception; Smell, and Taste, and Sight;  
Sinks into Rivers, riseth up in Height:   
And then again lays down herself in Plains,  
Painted with Flowers, and Squared with different Grains,  
Hemmed in with Hedges; Pleasure mixed with Use,  
And the well tasted Orchard's Cheering Juice;  
Potable Fruit it bears, Wine in the Ore,  
The Trees themselves for Drink have scarce the Power  
To stand, till like a Fountain from the Boughs  
The ruptured Fruit their Crystal Liquor throws;  
These having once their proper Season bled,  
Again the reeling Tree erects his Nodding Head.   

Here Fleecy People grazeing common Herbs,  
Yonder Pied Goats on Cliffs a browzing Shrubs;  
There goes the Bull, the Regent of the Mead,  
Thwart his Dominion, with Dictating Head;  
The Obsequious Herd to make him way divide,  
Then join in the Procession of his Pride.   

The Apostolic 
z Fishing.  Art here's perfected,  
And their days toil would here have better sped.  

The Severn, Avon, Salwerp, Team, and Stour,  
And silent Lorn, with all their Watery Store,  
Would not have broke their Nets, but filled them more.   
Catchers of Fish, or Men, they had had Sport,  
And might to Burroughs, or to Streams resort;  
Or both at once, or Either found in Both,  
Fish took in Towns, or Men from Rivers forth:  
These swim like Fish the Navigated Stream,  
And in the Market those do Trade like them.   

Bewdley for Beauty, Kidderminster Trade,  
Bromsgrove a place of endless 
a Seat of the Duke of Shrewsbury.  Honour made;  
Tenbury, and much esteemed Ham,  
A Castle once, but now a better 
b Seat of the Jefferys.  Name:  
Vpton, than Evisham, the Countys 
c The Vale of Esom serves the whole Town and Shire with Corn, being Coveted both for Seed and present Use.  Loaf,  
Which every Hand is daily cutting of,  
But can't diminish, Wonder joins to which,  
As next in Usefulness, all seasoning 
d Droitwich.  Which.  
Here springs of Liquid Salt to Dust they Boyl,  
There the Neat Dames are sifting Flower the while:  
At Wick the Damsels ply the froathing Cream,  
With quick repeated strokes, then bring to them  

Their well made Pounds; then mingled in a Trough,  
Soon comes to Life the kind fermenting Dough,  
That Travels on Life's errand too and fro.    



e Powick, on a rising Ground overlooking Worcester and Wickfield [Fight.]  Powick made famous by a King's defeat,  
That Purchased there a just Surname of Great,  
But after such a Way that Powick 
f Covered with Cherry Orchards.  blushes Yet.   
Hence Charles was sent to 
g The Royal Oak.  Roost, the Scots to Death,  
For Gabbleing wrong our English Shibboleth:  

On the fought Field a 
h A Windmill.  Monument there stands,  
They say of Him, with ever-flying Fanes,  
Yet tho' it always runs, it always stands.    

Newland, if thou art by my Song forgot,  
Let my Voice cease, and Death disperse my Thought:  
Thy Solemn Prospect, and thy Widowed House,  
Can I forget? could Judah's People choose  
But think on Jebus by Vphrates Tide?  
They could not; of Loved Jebus still they sighed.   

Grief does conduct me hence to Aldwin's 
i The Abbey of great Malvern, built by one Aldwin a Hermit.  Cell,  
Under the Amazing Structure of a 
k Malvern-hill.  Hill,  

Which Nature did with through paced Labour rear,  
And for Materials levelled half the Shire,  
As if she meant it for the World's Frontier:   
For so It seems, and so the Hermit thought,  
When weary to the Foot of it he got;  
Farewell Mankind, and Farewell World, he said,  
Then up the Hill to Heaven he lift his Head,  
With thanks that by Its guidance he had now  
Passed the dull Journey of a Mortal through.  
Which heard (for grateful Prayers run up a pace,  
And the Hill-top is very near the Place)  
With Pity all the hearty Words he spoke,  
And took him e'er he found out his Mistake.   

Here Aldwin, and thy almost Namesake, rest:  
Sometime I'll tell ye that your Choice was best.   

And now of Worster, Muse, break off thy Song,  
Its Argument's too heavy for my Tongue,  
To wield in Words, and legible its Fame,  
In Characters too big for thee to Name.  
Of Summer what canst say, and Stillingfleet,  
Where is thy Parallel, thy Epithet?  
Infer'st thou aught from 
l Ld Somers, Baron of Evisham, Lord High Chancellor, and one of the Lords Justices of England.  Esom's Coronet?  
A fruitful Chaplet 'tis, composed of Wheat,  
The Staff of Life, is He the same of State?  
He is thou sayest, th' Inscription shall be that.  
This was the Bishop's 
m The Bishops tried in the late Reign, for whom his Lordship was Council.  Blessing on his Head,  
The Holy Oil could not in vain be shed;  

Saul did Storm high, but God restrained his Power,  
Th' outrageous Billows did himself devour,  
But the same Waves brought David to the Shore.    

Between the Principles of Corporal things  
Is Enmity, whence Agitation Springs:  
For Nature with herself contending force,  
Gives all her compound Births their destined course.  

Hence Planetary Bodies know their Stage;  
Brutes take up Instincts, Men run on to Age,  
Where Cold and Earth prevailing, ends their Rage.   

n Of the Place in general.  Thine sure's the Nice punctilio where they Fight  
In their Originals. Fate took delight  
To temper thee, and held his Scales aright:  

So pure thy Soil, so moderate thy Clime,  
Thy Nature seems but in her Youth and Prime,  
Nor moans (as elsewhere) of th' Abuse of Time:   
Nor in the Circle of his Ancient Arms  
Withers, but leads him on by force of Charms  

Round all his Seasons: Hence thy Men so Free,  
So Upright, and so turn on Courtesy:  
Thou 'rt influenced by Heaven, and They by Thee.    
FINIS.