LONDONS ARTILLERY, BRIEFLY CONTAINING The noble practise of that wothie society: WITH THE modern AND ANcient martiall exercises, natures of arms, virtue of Magistrates, antiquity, glory and Chronography of this honourable city.  
Praemia virtutis nostrae, non stirpis honores.  
By R.N. Oxon.  
LONDON, Printed by Thomas creed, and Bernard Allsopp, for William Welby, and are to be sold at his shop in Paules Church-yard at the sign of the Swan. 1616.   

TO THE RIGHT honourable SIR John IOLLES, KNIGHT, LORD Maior, and to the right worshipful the Aldermen and Senate of the famous city of London.  
AS no riches do better enrich the soul of man, then learning, and no learning doth better instruct the life of man, then history; so( right honourable) no history can better beseem your knowledge, then that of this noble city; and since examples prevail more then precepts as patterns to follow, I haue broken some sleep to awake from sleep the worthy deeds of many your Honourable predecessors, who before you haue swayed the sword of Iustice in Londons tribunal, which with her history of ancient and modern times, Chronographicall description, polliticall government, military exercises and natures of arms all taking beginning from the worthy practise of your now hopeful infantry, I haue published as the map of my native Londons glory, before never delineated in the like form or method: the cause why I haue consecrated it unto your Honor is my natural love and duty to my native country and your proper interest in my work as governing that city, whose history is my subject; and though I know, that such a Cittie-subiect cannot want envy in court and country: yet if your honour vouch●afe it your gracious acceptance, I crave no further favour of protection, then within the liberty of my native London to live.  
Your Honours most humbly devoted, Richard Niccolls.   

TO THE RIGHT worshipful FAVOVRERS OF ARTES AND FOLLOWERS OF arms, the Captaines of the late Musters and to the rest of the society of Londons hopeful infantry.  

WHen on that plot of ground I you beholded,  
( brave brood of Mars) where Mars of yore did led  
The a roman troops, me thought, 
For this see the 10.& 13. pag.  ye stood in field  
As souldiers from their ashes newly bread,   

That thought to sing your praise inspired my Muse  
And first gave life to this heroic song,  
Which ye that understand can not abuse;  
brave minded Mars the Muses will not wrong:   

Phillips 
Alexander the great.  great son, great soldier of his time,  
Who wept, because poor Homer did not live  
To sing his life, to 
Cherillus.  one, that could but rhyme  
Yet good regard for each good verse did give:   

think what he did and what that Monarch was,  
So shall my verse not unregarded pass.   
ever well-wishing to you and your noble exercise, Richard nicols.   

TO THE MOST worthy GENTLEMAN captain edmund Panton captain and Leader to our Londons hopeful infantry.  

COnceit not( worthy Sir) that self conceit  
Did give my humble Muse aspiring wings,  
To mount your sphere of Mars, affection great  
To your great worth, is cause of what she sings,   

To you prime mover of that martiall sphere,  
Wherein so many sparks of hope do shine,  
She first doth sing, in hope your gentle ear  
Will give free way to these essays of mine:   

Where if you find ought good, or ought amiss,  
Will to do well in either I haue shown;  
If good, or bad, or both, I crave but this,  
That as you find it, you will make it known:   

But( gentle Sir) first deign to read: then judge,  
And what your censure is, I will not grudge.   
Yours to be commanded R. N.   

To the Reader.  
SInce in this uncharitable age, most men in suspending their judgements, do more often shoot their arrows of censure out of the bow of passion, then reason, I do here set forth this Essay of my Poem, as a common Butt, with a resolution expecting more arrows of envy then love; yet if any ingenuous, more out of their own modesty, then perhaps my desert, shall here think any thing well done; let them know that I haue endeavoured to do well, as one that loues doing well for itself, more then for thankes; If the envious who think any thing absurd in another, which they account excellent in themselves, shall condemn this my endeavour, to honour my native London, and that exercise of arms, maintained by the industry a●d expense of her hopeful infantry as vain: yet can they not, if they will say it is great ●anitie, but even out of envy wih all say it is great love, my love to them their worth, and practise, having been the first c●use that gave life to this labour. To those that except against the title of my work which I call Londons artillery, because it is an impropriety of speech, not communicable to those of this praise worthy society, I answer, that I ●m constrained to impose this term upon thee, both because by the ignorant vulgar, they are generally so called, and the French word infantry with other more significant& proper ●re scarce intelligible to any common Reader. The su●iect or matter o● my ●●●m take thus: arms being none of my profession of that I haue onely la●●e down these few positions First 〈◇〉 th●●●●●ri●●●● nor shoul● use arms for his art or tra●e: that every s●ate or commonwealth should rather employ and train up their own native people in martiall discipline for their defence, then strangers: That practise and time do produce both stronger men and better soldiers, then nature& .c. Of London, if any desire to know the aptenesse of situation, goodness of soil, holesomnes of air, antiquity, derivation of name, honour of arms, dignity and virtue of Magistrates, martiall Exercises, natures of usual arms both ancient and modern, in this little work, as through a glass they may behold all these reflected from the light of ancient& authentic authors The order and maner into which I haue digested this little labour is thus, I haue grounded an Induction to the ensuing Cantoes, on certain relics of Roman Antiquity, found in the field, adjoining to this hopeful Companies Campus Martius, vulgarly called the artillery garden, amongst which the Image of Minerua being one, I haue made her, being President of arts and arms, the Author of my Poem, divided into ten Cantoes, to which I haue adjoined certain notes of Illustration in Prose, not out of affencted singularity, it being a thing not usual, but both to explain such places, which to the ignorant and perhaps to some, who think themselves no common Readers, may seem difficult, and also to confirm such points of history, by the testimony of approved Authors, which in my Poem may seem doubtful: For thy better instruction( gentle Reader) I entreat thee to observe, that this mark" against any verse stands as a note of direction to the same verse in the Illustrations. Thus hoping a charitable censure, I crave no other reward for my pains, but that thou feeding on the fruit of my labour mayst well digest it.  
R. N.   

LONDONS artillery.  

Induction.  

WHen the daies King, our summer once begun,  
In Leo's inn had lodged his golden Sun,  
And had, to sport himself some little space,  
Heau'ns Dog-starre loosd, to give the Lion chase; 
A Description of the late dry Summer.   
The eager dog so hotly did pursue  
The panting lion, that the breath, which slay  
Before his nostrils, kindled in our air  
A fire unseen, which made the mountains bare,  
singed vales and plains, licked up the dews sweet drops,  
sucked the trees sap out at their privy tops:  
Yet still the starry cur so thirsty grew,  
That lakes, pounds, pools, all plashes dry he drew;  
The silver brooks beneath their banks did shrink,  
Earth gaped at heaven with open mouth for drink:  
Riuers, half leapt up by his blaring tongue,  
Scarce quenched the thirst, which his hot stomach stung  
By his fierce heat, that humour hide within  
Our human bodies, through the porie skin,  
He did attract so fast in drops of sweat,  
That men did faint beneath his fiery heat.   

And I, that shut up in my careful cell,  
His burning fury by effects could tell,  
Rose with the lark, the morns cloud-climing singer,  
To take the air, the hot bloods-cold breath-bringer;  
And on the East of that green plot of ground,  
Which Londons 
The artillery yard.  Campus Martius may be crowned,  
Where that free troope all voluntary lead,  
Each Mars his day, the war-gods dance do tread,  
I from my native( London) walked forth  
Into that field of yore called 
The Spittle field.  Lolesworth:  
Where the fresh air by winds tost to and fro,  
Which keep it uncorrupt, me thought, did show  
That heau'ns afflictions ever purge the mind  
Of those, that unto virtue are inclined:  
The lark, that left her food, her nest, her young,  
And early mounting, first with her sweet song,  
Saluted heaven, did seem to bid us win  
help from above, ere our dayes work begin;  
The Strawburie and sent-sweete Violet,  
Which abject grew, before mine eyes did set  
That unknown worth, which oftentimes doth dwell  
With meanest fortunes in a homely cell:  
The odiferous Rose, the gardens queen,  
'bout whom an host of thorny pricks are seen,  
Said, they must suffer pain, that seek for honor,  
Since hard access and danger wait vpon her;  
The bearded corn, 'mongst whom the fuller ear  
Did bow the head, when they that empty were  
Would wave aloft, did show that virtuous men,  
The more they haue, the more still humbled ben:  
On every creature, natures God hath writ,  
Instructiue notes to teach the dullest wit.  
Thus walking on, by chance I cast mine eye  
Vpon that ancient place, shot up on high,  
Which was by worthy founders raised of yore,  
To be an 
hospital of Sa●nt Mari● Spittle.  house of mercy to the poor,  
For whose decay, which then I did behold,  
Thus to myself, my grief I did unfold,  
Thou noble relic of that 
Two citizens of London, of whom see the Illustrations. Decay of the hospital.  nobler man,  
And his dear spouse, whose bounteous hands began  
And finished those works of praise in thee,  
Whose like these iron daies doth seldom see;  
Where are become those alms deeds of the dead,  
With which so many poor in thee were fed?  
Or where those lodgings now, which then each night  
gave harbour to so many a wandring wight?  
Do they abide? alas they all are gone,  
And nothing left, less deafer, then the ston  
Within thy walls, to harken to the poor,  
If they to thee their wretched case deplore.  
O woeful state of miserable man  
Once dead, scarce any good or virtue can  
live after death with us! for such the rage,  
And the dull blindness of this envious age,  
That eu'n the shadow of that antic good,  
That wont to be, is now not understood,  
And the good deeds themselves of those good men,  
Are swept away, as they had never ben:  
Alas that vipers-like, we should devour  
The lives of our dear parents, who had power  
To live a leaving name to us unkind  
In those their works, which they haue left behind,  
Which to the like, might like true lights conduct us;  
Examples more then precepts do instruct us:  
But that imagination may not think,  
That ever good was there, unto a sink  
Of evil we convert that plac●, which then  
Was the true zealous work of virtuous men. 
Abuse of the same.   
For where the aged and the impotent,  
lived in their actions chast and innocent,  
Th'vnbridled stalion, breathing furious lust,  
provokes encounters in the Paphian ioust  
And there, where many a t●ue-teare dropping eye  
With zealous hands, once lifted up on high  
unto the King of heaven by prayer, were winners  
Of souls salvation to repentant sinners,  
Now French-sicke Syrens, and lewd Circe's dwell,  
Whose looks are hooks to hale hot blods to hell:  
O that the buds of youth, that promise much  
Of timely fruit to follow, by the touch  
Of Cankers here decaying, should despair,  
Who sucking forth the verdure of their faire,  
convert the sap of their inclined good will  
Into the poison of detested ill;  
Or that the aged Chrone is suffered here  
To feed the Cockatrice, who doth appear  
No sooner hatched, but that she runs in hast  
To Venus school, where she doth learn at last,  
With pestilential looks and baneful breath,  
In youth to blast poor modesty to death.  
To you( grave Lord) therefore, who for this year,  
Do Atlas-like vpon your shoulders bear  
Our Londons heaven; the Genius of this place,  
By me doth beg redress for such disgrace,  
Lest Englands pearl not onely bear the stain  
Of being blemished; but seem so profane,  
That her concurrent envious Rome may say,  
Where virtue was, now 'vice bears supreme sway,   

No sooner did my Muse, urged by the wrong,  
Of these bad dayes, end her Satyricke song,  
But looking back, behind me, I beholded  
One, that had all this time himself concealed:  
His garb was baulk, so was his gate;  
His weeds though mean, were comely: yet his state  
As 'tis the souldiers portion now, was poor,  
His looks did say his purse had little store,  
And yet vpon his brow beneath his hat  
Temperd with mildness, manly sternesse sat,  
Denouncing peace to those, that peace allowed,  
And war to those, that would be vainly proud;  
Who, when within the reach of voice he came,  
Saluting me, his purpose thus did frame,  
Good time of day, Sir, be it no offence,  
That bluntly I entreat you to dispense,  
With your own meditations for a space,  
That I to you may tell the worlds disgrace  
To men of arms; we often by discourse  
find ease of heart; and I do read remorse  
Writ in your looks, of which my wrongs reueald  
May find some comfort: human griefs concealed,  
Are in great thoughts, like strong wines, that will rent  
The cask in pieces, if they want their vent.  
Alas Sir, answered I, what comfort can  
Expected be from such a naplesse man,  
Who by the vain worlds mocke●y is made  
Your fellow seruant unto care? words fade,  
Like false friends leaving us, and will be found  
As fruitless, to our griefs, as musics sound  
Is to the deaf mans care, onely they feed  
Our humours for a time; yet after breed,  
As do dead bodies their own eaters, cares,  
That do consume us; yet no man despairs,  
That sees his equal with true patience bear  
The like bad fortune: for now every where,  
The Muses pupils, whose profession yet,  
( Except where Ignorance, as judge is set,)  
Shall ne'er give place to arms, are made the scorn  
And scum of time, who though thus left forlorn;  
Yet like the teeth, that still preparing food,  
Do hurt themselves to do the body good, 
Neglect of learning.   
In watchful studies wasting out their prime  
And May of youth, grow old before their time,  
And both their health, their wealth, and wits engage  
With golden knowledge to enrich this age,  
Who strumpet-like, unthankful, with a scoff,  
Once having known their worth, doth cast them off,  
Except they stoop like Panders to the time,  
And do partake with it in every crime:  
If any noble wit, ravished with love,  
To those diviner mysteries above  
His talent would apply, he must appeal  
To some Church-chaffring Chuffe, who will so deal  
By his Primitias, or some other mean,  
That the poor living, will be left too lean  
To live vpon; except some one disburse  
The levites portion out of his own purse:  
If any sound, profound, farre-reaching spirit,  
Whom the deep politics do most delight,  
Do break his quiet sleeps to serve the State,  
How many tedious winters must he waire  
Vpon the tail of greatness, and yet find  
himself like him, that seeks to grasp the wind;  
mocked and deluded with vain words so long,  
Till in old age death consummate his wrong?  
( O hapless brood of great Apolloes brain)  
To what shifts do these times your wits constraint.  
Some forced by want to lay by learnings worth,  
turn livery men; others, whose younger birth  
But little better fortune doth afford,  
Must Pedagogize at some great mans board,  
And learn true Congeis of some trencher boy,  
Wherewith to please their Patrons painted toy:  
Others ill using their Dramatike pens  
To grace the Stage, and promise pleasing Sceans,  
With the sweet honey of their golden style,  
Feed others fat, and starve themselves the while.  
Thus then you see, that in the self same fate,  
Both men of arts and arms participate,  
Which may yield comfort, since 'tis some relief  
To wretched men, t'haue partners in their grief.  
To this, the soldier sighing, thus replied,  
aim, would God, that I in arms had died,  
Since being poor, and therefore deemed a slave  
By the times worldlings, in distress I haue  
No other salve to cure my wound of care,  
But onely what forced patience can prepare:  
For since the due of arms we are bereft,  
What hope of help, is to the soldier left? 
Neglect of arms.   
Pride-pampring ease, secure of after harms,  
enchants the war. God in her wanton arms,  
And from his helm, now hung up by the walls,  
In whose dark concave Spiders wave their cawls,  
His plume is plucked away, which every where,  
Cowards and martiall men alike do were;  
Who in the stead of Gorget made of steel,  
'bout their phantastike necks do fond wheel  
That base device of yeallow fall and ruff,  
As if the pattern of that fiery stuff,  
In the true perfect colour, they would take,  
Which pride shall put on in the burning lake.  
But soft, I seem too bitter 'gainst the times,  
And some perhaps, who patronise such crimes,  
Will tax my plaint●, as vtterd in despite,  
Out of a warre-thirst 'gainst the sweet delight  
Of blessed peace, which heaven doth still bestow  
Vpon our state; but let such foundlings know,  
I to my country, wish no wounds of steel,  
But such, as now our fruitful furrows feel,  
Onely it grieves my soul to see th'increase  
And fruit of plenty, which our happy peace, 
Pride chief author of evil in our State.   
So long enjoyed, could carefully proulde,  
Deuour'd and eat up by their wanton pride,  
Who, like a treacherous: peer, that bearing sway  
In state affairs, makes every one give way  
To his designs, fights for our foes at home,  
That so ourselves, ourselves may overcome.  
Tis that( alas) that with selfe-spoyling hand  
Exhausts the golden treasures of our land,  
Wastes towns and cities, makes our people bare,  
turns rich men poor, brings poor men to despair:  
It is that Omphale, that by her charms,  
Makes our Herculean youth, neglecting arms,  
Put on the habit, looks, locks, place and face,  
Of tender women, to their beards disgrace:  
It is that Harlot, who by lust at length  
Cuts of the locks of our young Sampsons strength,  
Giuing the golden gulls of these our dayes  
An heart, but of an Hart, in bold assays  
Fitter swift flight, then fight to undergo,  
Who for themselves do no true valour know,  
slight the poor soldier, as debauched and base:  
Yet if grim-visag'd war should show his face,  
Such Fops to meanest soldiers, armed in steel,  
As unto Gods for help would basely kneel;  
Tis not sweet peace( which is and hath been given  
Onely to those, that are beloved of heaven,  
'gainst which the vulgar vainly doth inuay)  
That is the cause of martiall mens decay;  
For since their swords do purchase peace from far,  
Wise peace should keep them still, to keep out war:  
Those lazy Lozels, that on soft down beds,  
Till noon day laying their fantastic heads  
unto the pillow, study and devise  
On some quaint English, French, or Tuscan guise,  
Who to maintain strange fashions, and new cuts,  
Do wring their poor racke-rented tenants guts;  
Who kindling lust at every females eye,  
Fell forrests, woods, make lands and lordships fly,  
T'incense chast Matrons to vnchast desire,  
And burn their beauties up in Paphian fire;  
Who greedy after gain, turn peopled towns  
unto poor sheepe-coates, to increase their crownes,  
Are they, whom our long happy peace doth prick  
With such luxurious plenty, that they kick  
At heaven forgot, and in such gluttonies  
loathe peace itself; yet men at arms despise;  
These are our kingdoms troubled seas, wherein  
Tost by black 'vice, wave hunteth wave of sin,  
Nought casting on our cost of Brittannie,  
But weeds and froth of soul impiety;  
O, that such subiects( since vpon the throne  
Kings sit as lights, for us to look vpon)  
In decent habit, and right use of things,  
Would imitate the glory of all kings,  
Our learned sovereign, using his increase  
With modest hand, in calm of this our peace!  
Who( our true Solomon to peace inclined,  
Whose royal 
Beati Pacifici.  Motto shows his royal mind)  
says to the world by his world-wondred name,  
unto my kingdom, 
james Stewart. Anagram. A sweet rest I am.  A sweet rest I am.  
But cease my bootless plaints, and let me live  
Safe to mine own thoughts, lest I hap to give  
( Seeking to cure my careless countries crimes)  
pills far too bitter for these sinne-sicke times;  
I know rude souldiers are too rough to please  
This dainty age, the darling of soft ease;  
And best it is in silence to lament  
That evil, which our plaints cannot prevent.  
This said, we heard through echoes shrill rebound  
The drums dull spirit-animating sound,  
And volleys of thick shot, in thunder spending  
Their fiery spleen, through clouds of smoke ascending;  
At which amazed, the soldier startled stood  
As out of passions dream, waked with the good  
Of happy tidings, and with greedy eye  
Searching about, asked whence it was, and why;  
To whom, I thus; this is that 
The field lying on the East side of the Artillery yard.  famous field,  
Which once her bosom did for burial yield   

To roman Victors, after that the power  
Of civil war, which doth itself devour,  
Had brought the britain by the fatal stroke  
Of Caesars sword, beneath the roman yoke:  
For here old Rome( the worlds proud mistress) brought  
Her youth up in the sleights of war, and taught  
even in this place, the souldiers bloody game,  
For which they grew so far renowned in famed,  
Where she hath kept in many a sacred urn  
The roman relics, which the pile did burn  
In funeral flamme, before those bloody dayes,  
That great Vesp●sian wore th'imperial bays,  
When his brave son, that heau'n-sent raging Lion  
pitched his proud Eagles on the walls of Sion.  
And as the King of Prophets did foresee,  
There left no ston vpon a ston to bee;  
And since that time, until these later dayes,  
Which do neglect all monuments of praise,  
Those roman relics here reserved haue been,  
Though now of them no signs are to be seen:  
But rest, ye wronged ghosts of Rom●ns gone,  
And since the fatal flood, where every one  
As w●aried, leaves his mortal load at last,  
Ye long ago t' elysium plains haue past,  
Let not that wrong late done, alas therefore,  
unto your graues, now grieve you any more:  
Englands 
London so c●ld by the Romans, of which in the 7. Canto.  Augusta, our fame-farre spread city  
Out of your scattered ashes, as in pitty  
Of your dead memory, with her kind hand  
Hath raised a 
The company of the Artillery, of whom see to the 2. Canto.  Phoenix-like faire martiall band,  
Who in that field, where your could graues hau● ben  
So long concealed from knowledge of all men,  
Like Cadmus bone-bred brood in brave array,  
As born in arms do march each Mars his day.  
To this, the soldier smiling, silence broke,  
And knowing not their worth, of whom he spake,  
Said, can soft slakes of wool, or tennis balls,  
Like iron bullets, batter strongest walls?  
Or can the dull sword, made of led, prevail  
Like temperd steel, to pierce the iron male?  
Or can your city people tender bread,  
Who in the lap of ease are daily fed,  
Like souldiers, who to no afflictions yield,  
brook the sharp brunts of war in bloody field!  
O, that those ancient Romans, unto whom  
The bosom of this field did serve for tomb,  
survived to see, how you this place extol,  
Some Remus sure, would leap the lostie wall  
Of this your city, and would laugh to see  
The discipline of her artillery.  
To hear these bitter words of proud disdain,  
I moved in mind, no longer could refrain  
To check his error; but before I spake,  
The earth beneath our feet began to quake,  
The heau'ns did thunder, and the cheerful light  
Of the noon day did turn to darksome night,  
At which, as we amazed stood, from far  
" Ioues braine-borne Pallas, President of war, 
A description of Pallas.   
Whom heau'ns swift whirl-windes on their wings did bear,  
leaped on the earth, and shooke her lengthfull spear;  
A mighty shield, she bore in her left hand,  
Two Gorgon-like grim heads embossed, did stand  
Vpon her breast-plate, proof 'gainst dangers doubt,  
With curious skill engraven all about;  
Beneath her helmet, horrid all with gold,  
Her virgin face, most goodly to behold;  
Betwixt the golden trammels of her hair,  
On either side down flowing, did appear  
As Sol, that day, when rough winds he foregoes,  
Twixt two hills west a ruddy countenance shows:  
Her dreadful looks the lightnings flash resembling,  
She fixed on us, and as we both stood trembling;  
Being almost strike dead with fear and wonder,  
At last she thus broke forth in voice of thunder.    

Illustration.  
endeavour in a Writer to please and win praise, without respect to the truth, carrying with it the fowle note of servility, I here disclaim: and that my Muse was not inspired with a fury to flatter her native London, let the testimony of such Authors( by whom regard hath been taken, how posterity should be truly informed) make justifiable that here in plain prose, which may seem questionable before in my Poem, and so to the first note.  
Thou noble relic of that nobler man  
And his dear spouse—  
The first object, note-worthie, which fals under the eye of my Muse in her mornings walk, is that place, which we vulgarly call the Spittle; of which I find recorded in that industrious antiquary( M●ster John stow) that it was an hospital of such relief to poor people, 
In his survey. p. 168.  that at the suppression of the same, with the Priory in that place, in the reign of henry the eight, it was valued to d●spend 478. pounds: in which, besides the ornaments of the Church, and goods pertaining to the house, there were 180. beds well furnished: It was founded by that worthy Citizen Walter Brune and Rosia his wife, anno 1235. in the reign of henry the third, and called by the name of Saint mary Spittle.  
Which once her bosom did for burial yield  
To roman victors,—  
When the Romans were Lords of britain, in this field( as in al other places, according to the law of their 12. tables which you may read at large in 
De legibus lib. 2.  Cicero) they did bury their dead hard by the city, as in a public or military place. Of which, that great 
cambden in Trino. p. 380.  dictatory of antiquity, saith thus, In quorum campis, dum haec scriberemus, erutasunt multa vasa sepulchralia, sigilla& vrnae, in quibus Claudij, Neronis, Vespasiani &c. nummuli: That is, in these fields, while wee were writing these things, many funeral vessels, little images, and vrns were taken up, in which the moneys of Claudius, Nero, Vespasian,& others were found. It was a custom thē amongst the Romans to burn the bodies of their dead, and to preserve the ashes in an urn or funeral pot, as we read in 
Annal. l. 2.& 3. pag. 67.& 63.  Tacitus of the burning Germanicus body in Antioch: whose ashes, his wife Agrippina carried to Rome in a funeral pot; of severus funerals at york in 
In Brigant. pag. 627.  Master cambden, whose ashes in a golden urn( some say in a vessel of Marble or porphyry) were conveyed to Rome by his wife Iulia and his sons Antoninus and Geta. But of the finding these Roman relics, which was, when this field was broken up for day to make brick, anno Eliza. 22. you may read at large in Master 
In his survey. pag. 130.  stow, to whom I the rather refer you, because he was present at the digging up of the same.  
— and taught  
even in this place the So●ldiers bloody game.  
To my conjecture( I do not importune your belief) yet since London, not greatly famous by the name of a Colony which are the express words of 
Annal. l. 14. cap. 10.  Tacitus, was called Augusta, and as some think, of the Legion Augusta, which there sojourned: 
ralph. Hollen. in his 2. book of the description of britain.  this Field may seem to haue been their Campus Martius, or place of military exercise; both, because in the same such Monuments of theirs haue been lately found, and they, as I before noted, according to the law of their twelve Tables, did burn their dead in military places.  " Ioue's braine-borne Pallas, President of war. 
Though this fiction of Pallas be warranted, both by the rules of poesy, and examples of such, the imitation of whom may justify it, without exception: yet I haue laid the ground of it vpon the truth: for in this Field, where I began this Induction to my ensuing discourse, the Image of Pallas,( no mean deity amongst men of Artes and arms) was taken up at the same time amongst other roman relics, as Stow saith, in the place before quoated.  

CANTO. I.  
The Argument.  
True Discipline they do abuse,  
Who for their Art, their arms do use.  
WHat Serpent spits his poison of defame  
'gainst Englands London, whose illustrate name,  
If t'other cities we the same compare,  
Shines like a Phoebus to another star?  
Or if to any of this Sea-sieg'd land,  
It, like a Cedar amongst shrubs doth stand?  
Or who is this, that Cur-like barking bites  
The good endeavour of those worthy spirits,  
Who by their love to arms in martiall game,  
And honest arts, do honor our great name?  
Thou foe to virtue, on whose viperous tongue,  
Malice hath set an edge of unjust wrong  
To wound their good desert, contend with me,  
And let us argue on true signory;  
" The private man, that makes his arms, his art, 
No man ought to use war, as his art.   
As many do, that blindly do convert  
True discipline of war into a trade,  
As by the dog, that in the pond hath played,  
The water drops are shaken off on shore,  
When warres are hushed, is loft and used no more;  
But he, that useth arms in time of peace,  
Onely by practise knowledge to increase  
In time of war, when cause doth so constrain,  
And can return to his affairs again,  
Is the true soldier of those antic times,  
Deprau'd with no such execrable crimes,  
As he, that as his function useth war,  
Who haunted with penurious want and care,  
Through greedy thirst of gain grows mad with rage,  
And sparing neither place, nor sex, nor age,  
That he in peace may live, when warfare ends,  
While war doth last, despoiles both foes and friends;  
For this, the faithless varlet, turned profane,  
With sacrilegious hands will not refrain  
The sacred shrines; but with that cruel 
The hyena, a beast counterfeiting the voice of man. Plin. l. 8. c. 30  beast,  
That after death, doth wretched man molest,  
tears up the dead mans tomb, who did suppose  
The grave a house, secure from all his foes;  
For this the infants brains, while it doth call  
The mothers help, he dashes 'gainst the wall,  
On which it leaves, at leaving of its breath,  
The bloody story of its life and death;  
For this, with murderous blade he makes his way  
Into the womb, where once the infant lay,  
To seek the gold, which being before denyde,  
He thought the mother swallowing, there might hid;  
For this, to save his life, the country Bore,  
Naked is forced to fly from his own store,  
And to th'oppressor leaves, for one dayes spoil,  
What he scarce got in twenty summers toil:  
All these, and many such, like streams of woe,  
As from that spring of blood and spoil, do flow,  
Which digging with their swords such men do make,  
That can, in time of peace, themselves betake  
To no vocation, but think others harms  
Their chiefest good, and count their art their arms.  
Thou onely 
Carthage.  glory of that afric shore,  
Where once thou didst thy D●dos death deplore,  
And after stoutly didst proud Rome oppose,  
Lifting thy sceptre t'her imperial nose,  
Be thou a witness of that woeful scar,  
given by thine own 
Matho and Spendio two rebellious Captaines. Nic. Mach. de arte bell. lib. 1.  sons in civil war,  
Who when they first the roman force did feel,  
And bravely had repulsed steel with steel,  
When foes were gone, and thou hadst thy desire,  
having no trade, to which they should retier,  
Did turn vpon thee, and thy sides did gore  
With deeper wounds, then Rome had done before:  
And thou, faire italy, the hony spot  
Of Europes bounds, the worlds sweet garden plot,  
Did not these modern dayes thy beauty stain,  
With the dear blood of thine own children slain,  
By thine own souldiers, who thy peace being made, 
Fra. Guic. Hist. lib. 20.   
Except their arms, had then no other trade?  
O that such men, should boast themselves to be  
The very life and soul of signory!  
Yet by their deeds deface the souldiers name,  
With rapine, theft, with beggary and shane.  
The 
war makes theeues, and peace hangs them up.  Tuscan proverb like an Oracle  
Forespeakes their sate, and 'tis a miracle,  
If he, that in the calm of peace shall make  
The sword, his spade, his plough-share, fork, or rak,  
Twist not so many threads of shane, whose strength  
Shall be of power to strangle him at length;  
Such discontented spirits, ever like  
To raging waves, with all their force, do strike  
Against our rocks of peace, and wanting might  
To swallow up the shore, for very spite  
Spitting their fury forth in frothy matter,  
Vpon the same themselves in pieces batter;  
But the great Captaines of those antic dayes,  
Whose conquering swords the roman state did raise  
To that proud height, that nations far and wide,  
Throughout the world, were vassals to her pride,  
Bright mirrors are, in whom this age may see  
The perfect image of true signory,  
Who did achieve their conquests in times past,  
With such swift hand, as if they had made hast  
In all the warres committed to their cares,  
To make return unto their own affairs:  
He then, that when warres trumpet ceaseth, can  
return to his own function, is the man  
Worthy to manage arms; and such were held  
In former times, fit souldiers for the field;  
Such men, like Bees make Mars his helm an hive,  
Where hony-combs of rest they do contrive:  
So fighting, that from fighting they may cease,  
The end, at which good souldiers aim, is peace;  
And such those schollers are, that do belong  
T'our school of Mars, of whom in our next song.    

Illustrations. The private man, that makes his arms, his art.  
IN the youth of the roman monarchy, when the slower of her glory began to grow to perfection, not onely, he that made signory, his trade; but according to that most learned and elegant 
Sir henry Sauill.  translator of Tacitus, in his view of military matters out of Dionysius lib. 2. Histrionica and all of sedentary, mechanical,& voluptuarie arts, were disabled to be Legionarie souldiers; amongst whom, none were enrolled but cives Romani, ingenui, artis Iudicrae expertes. Agriculture was chiefly allowed, as the onely nurse of fit men for service in war, they being in peace good husbandmen, and in war good souldiers. No man in their opinion, being more dangerous to a state, then he, which maketh signory his occupation or trade: of this, we haue an example of that famous husbandman Lucius Quintius Cincinnatus, to whom being at plough, as 
Cato Maior.  Cicero saith, it was showed, that he was chosen dictatory: this noble roman, having repulsed the Tuscans, Latins, and Volscians, ended the war within fifteen dayes, that he might( as he said) the sooner return to his tillage. The like of this I read in that worthy roman Regulus Attilius, of whose inviolate faith to the Carthagenians, 
office. lib. 3.  Cicero makes noble mention, who being captain of the roman armies in Africa, and having often vanquished the enemy, required licence of the Senate to return home to keep his possessions, fearing that in his absence they were neglected of his husbandmen: 
De re Rustica.  Cato saith, that ex agricolis viri forts,& milites strenuissimi gignuntur, minimeque &c. Of husbandmen both strong men and valiant souldiers are made, they being least of all euill-thoughted, that are exercised in that labour. Varro lib. 2.& 3. de re Rustica, writeth much vpon this point; but since these,& the like roman writers, are so far removed from our time, I refer you to 
In his art of war l●b. 1.  Nicholas Machiauell, a more modern Author, who affirming, that martiall discipline cannot be justly used, as an art of a private subject or citizen, but of a commonwealth or kingdom, useth a large and copious discourse of the same.  

CANTO. II.  
The Argument.  
The practise of true signory,  
By Londons hopeful infantry.  
THe envious Adder, having spent his sting,  
Partakes no more with any poisonous thing;  
But th'envious man, when he can do no harm,  
An others mind with mischief seeks to arm.  
Their exercise of arms, whose worth I sing,  
envy doth seek to wound with sharpest sting:  
Yet th'old worlds war-like souldiers, famous known,  
If they did now survive, to see their own  
practise of arms, in that free school maintained,  
In which those hopeful sons of Mars are trained,  
Would give that praise to them, denied by none  
To the same merit, which was once their own,  
Whom( thou the Honor of this happy Ile  
Faire London) to succeeding times mayst style,  
Thy hopeful Infantry, the glittering light  
Of whose bright arms, in every strangers sight,  
Thy name shall more illustrate and uphold,  
Then all thy glorious shows of shining gold,  
Tis not thy wealth, which( O) too oft we know,  
betrays its owner to some treacherous foe,  
Which both in men of wisdom strength and wit,  
Masters the Master, that possesseth it,  
Nor height of walls, of castles or of towers,  
That shall defend thee against foreign powers,  
But thine own sons, such as these, now we see  
armed in bright walls of steel, thy walls must be:  
Then to this hopeful troope, thy martiall band,  
Great queen of cities, stretch thy bounteous hand,  
And since thou art renowned for noble arts,  
As far as Titan shoots his golden darts;  
So cheer up this thy chosen infantry,  
give golden wings unto their industry,  
And hope doth promise thee as great a name  
In arms, as arts, from their now fligged famed;  
For pupils in true discipline of war,  
Free, not enforced, they all instructed are,  
In which they gain more iudgement with less pains,  
Then any troope, whom strict command constrains;  
In all our works a forward mind good will  
Finds ever better proof, then forced skill;  
And by their industry, which brings things under  
Our powers reach, which we at first with wonder  
Do think impossible, they do uphold  
That knowledge, which in peril makes men bold,  
Courage in danger doth from knowledge grow,  
And men less fear to do those things they know:  
They( as our often strokes make hardest steel)  
Harden their limbs, that they may seem to feel  
No weight of ponderous arms; they learn aright  
To keep their ranks, and order for the fight,  
And use their weapons to their foes most harms,  
Which onely three do make a man of arms;  
Precepts decreed inviolate should stand  
For martiall order in that hopeful band.  
The factious, turbulent, or idle spirit,  
Who by some other function doth not merit  
Of the same commonwealth, they do debar  
From their society, and always are  
Or should be in their choice, as circumspectly  
As those old Romans, who did ne're select  
In their enrolements men, that onely choose  
war for their art, but ever cassing those;  
And should in discipline, before them lay  
" That mystery of roman state, which they,  
Whose skill in arms, no nation yet surmounted  
The form and essence of a soldier counted;  
Which if they keep and kick not at command,  
( The life of order) in a martiall band,  
This brood of Mars, like living sparks of war,  
As the small imbers, which extracted are  
From the dead ashes, that conceal the same,  
By often puffs of breath begin to flamme;  
From light of long-neglected discipline,  
Late kindled by brave spirits doth so shine,  
That if this age, add sewell to the same,  
T'will reach the clouds vpon the wings of famed:  
But here perhaps, one of that roaring sect,  
( Who doth usurp a baulk respect,  
Some seeming Martialist, whose spit-like blade  
Hangs by his side, as th'ensigne of his trade,  
Whose stiff mustachios, Porcupine-like hairs,  
Do seem to whisper mischief in his ears)  
Will ask, why he, or such, who, as he knows  
Hath often banded bullets 'gainst our foes,  
And in the field haue sometimes had command,  
Excluded be from being of this band;  
Why rather in their place, that do apply  
themselves unto this practise, are the fry  
Of gallant gentry not advanced, who can  
And would give countenance to the martiall man;  
Thus argues he; but shall the 
A city for her defence ought in service to employ her own citizens not strangers.  shepherd yield  
The keeping of his flock in open field  
unto the wolf, though he should promise faire,  
Or trust it to his Dogs approved care?  
Or shall the father of a family,  
Whose life the dread of death doth terrify,  
Commit his safety to a man unknown,  
Or to a son, born naturally his own?  
No trust, where strife and envy fosterd be,  
Strangers and native born do nere agree:  
A city, at the helm of whose free state  
wisdom( the child of providence) doth wait,  
To be of power to beate back foreign force,  
As pupils in the school of war, will nurse  
No stranger, but her own, more fearing men  
That aliens are, then her own citizen.  
Great kingdoms soon decline, that do repose  
Their trust in strangers, as next Canto shows.    

Illustrations. 
— before them lay  
That mystery of roman state—   
AFter the enrollement of the soldier, was that mystery of roman estate, as it is in that Authors view of military matters, before quoated out of Herodian, The military oath, which Cato urgeth in his Epistle to his son, cited by 
office. lib. 1.  Cicero, prohibiting him the fight, being disbanded by his captain Pompilius, except he renewed the oath, which he there calleth militiae sacramentum, and was so strictly observed by the romans, that Titus Manlius Torquatus for breach thereof did cause his son, a young man of great hope, though he had sought valiantly against the enemy, to be cruelly put to death. This oath is thus laid down by the Author before mentioned: That they should bee obedient and execute to the uttermost of their power, whatsoever should bee commanded them by their Captaines and superiors, by which, it appears, there was no exception of persons, but the man of the best rank, being ranked with a soldier, was to give way to the command of his Captain, as far, as the meanest of his band. 
Plato.  The chief praise of a soldier is obedience to his captain; 
Xenph●n.  Without obedience, neither valiant men, stout horse, or strong armor, work any good effect. 
Plutarc.  Scipio being asked by one, wherein his hope consisted to conquer Carthage, answered in his soldiers:& being again asked, why, said, because, if I command, they will ●bey; obedience to the captain,& mutual accord, being two strongest sinews of an army. Another part of this mystery was( for here I onely mention so much of it, as meets with my purpose) that none should contend for precedency in place, which might be decided by seniority of time and service. The ancient manner of mustering was, that the first man should choose out him for second to stand by him in the battle, whose custom was to march with him in the same rank: the second the third, the third a fourth, and so each one should choose his mate unto the last man. It is 
By livy. lib. 9.  called, lege sacrata coactus exercitus: an army constrained by a sacred law, where men so linked in love did fight, though with many hands, yet with one mind. Xenophon himself being an excellent commander, and describing the Persian muster, saith thus; that Cyrus selected two hundred trained gentlemen, fittest for service, every one of those gentlemen, did choose unto them four more gentlemen, and so amounting to a thousand: every gentleman did choose thirty common souldiers, as ten targets, ten slings, and ten bows, which number did arise to 31000. and such a power so collected, was by opinion of antiquity thought able to encounter the world; but of this enough.  

CANTO. III.  
The Argument.  
States to be free from foes annoy,  
Their own, not strangers should employ.  
THe state, that thinking to oppose all harms,  
Shall foster strangers up for use in arms,  
Is like the simplo bide, that sits vpon  
The Cuckowes bastard eggs, which as her own,  
She carefully doth hatch beneath her breast,  
By whom grown slushy, she's at length oppressed;  
But the wise State, that danger to withstand,  
Doth put her strength of arms into the hand  
Of her own sons, like the 
The stork.  Thessalian foul,  
Whose feeble strength, when age doth so control,  
That she no more can forage for her food,  
relieved is by her own proper brood:  
While the grave Senate of renowned Rome,  
Did onely arm their native youth at home  
To guard their walls, they kept their liberty  
untouched by proud Caesarean tyranny;  
But when Octauius son of purpose choose,  
The stout Praetorian soldier to oppose,  
All doubt of danger, who did ready stand  
Beneath the walls of Rome with swords in hand,  
To give the privilege of state the check,  
And make the Senate stoop t' Augustus beck;  
Then did the worlds great head, her head decline,  
And Caesars cloudy frown, did dim the shine  
Of her free state, Augustus self did fear  
The sway, which that Praetorian band did bear,  
For to that pitch at last their power rose,  
That Romes tribunal was at their dispose;  
But like the curious gallant of our dayes,  
Why do I wander so far distant ways,  
To seek this errors black effects at Rome,  
When we( alas) may find them nearer home:  
look back unto this kingdoms ancient heir,  
The noble britain, who with sad despair  
driven to leave his northern seat forlorn  
unto the barbarous Pict, being rent and torn  
With foreign wounds in Caesars warres before,  
Did sand for aid unto the German shore;  
To whose request, the Saxon soon did yield,  
Englands great Ancestor, a Mars in field,  
Whose thirst of glory in the bloody fight,  
And famed in arms the golden stars did smite;  
He vanquishing the foe, and being Lord  
Of many a field, did turn his conquering sw●rd,  
fleshed in the Pictish blood and drunk with spoil,  
To chase the britain from his native soil;  
Such ever are the miseries of those,  
" That do in strangers strengths their trust repose:  
For no such saith, or valour shall be found  
In him, that for anothers good, is bound  
To meet with danger, as in him that goes  
For his own fortune peril to oppose;  

mercenary men not truly valiant.  The hope of pay and spoil is that, which can  
Onely give wings of courage to the man,  
Whom intertaind, we mercenary call,  
" When pay doth fail, his faith and force doth fall:  
But he, whose countries care lifts up his hands  
Against the common foe, bound by strict bands  
Of love to parents, children, wife and friends,  
Not with a thought respecting those base ends  
Of pay, or pray for sight, goes double strong,  
And lion-like to guard his tender young,  
No smart of wounds, no fear of fortune feels,  
Though bloody dangers dogs him at the heels;  
Happy that city then, who at the breast  
Of bold Bellona in the calm of rest,  
Fosters such sons, unto whose charge and care,  
She may commit her trust in time of war,  
And not be forced by frowning foes constraint,  
To stretch forth golden hands with sad complaint  
To stipendary Captaines, and to yield  
Her forces to their conduct for the field;  
Since such men do prefer their stipend far  
Before their good, for whom they manage war:  
Th'inconstant plume in such a chieftains crest,  
That beimg but an alien to the rest, 
Men mercenary unfaithful.   
Whom he conducts, shall more respect his pay,  
Then his own famed or honour, waves that way,  
Which golden gain with greatest gale doth blow,  
For this alike, respecting friend and foe;  
For this, that people of Gygantike breed,  
" The cantoned nation, whom those mountains feed,  
Whose cloud-brow'd heads, do seem aspiring high,  
To dare their neighbouring Alpes to scale the sky,  
Being stipendary to the milan Prince,  
Did both in field themselves of faith convince,  
Though much implord by him with tears of grief,  
sorrows last arguments to urge relief,  
And of the wretched Prince, constraind to join  
His plate to his too little ready coin,  
In part they having once received their pay,  
Did to his foes the forlorn Duke betray:  
O that a nation of so noble name,  
Should brand their worth with this one spot of blame,  
To set their strength to sale, and ever hold  
The cause most just, if balanced with gold;  
But if to such, so famous in the field  
For deeds of arms, we confidence might yield,  
employed abroad, yet garrisoned at home,  
What humane providence could overcome,  
The many dangers threatening such a state,  
subjecteth to the hazards of debate,  
Which ever factiously hath fosterd ben,  
Twixt th'alien soldier and the citizen;  
watchful distrust, that hath more eyes and ears  
lodged in the heart, then be fantastic fears,  
Which the worlds objects can present without,  
Distracts that city with a double doubt;  
And as a goodly palm whose sappie roote  
Creeping through earth, doth amorously shoot  
Into the crystal bosom vnespyde  
Of some sweet brook, that by her bank doth glide,  
fears both the wanton water, which unkind  
Doth wash away the earth, and the fierce wind,  
That shakes her body, though they both do give  
That life to it, which onely makes it live:  
So such a commonwealth, that doth both nurse  
The alien soldier, and the proper force  
Of her own citizens, both which do aim  
'gainst foes invasion to defend the same,  
Both feels th'oppression of the strangers pride,  
Which free born spirits never may abide,  
And at that instant fears, through their constraint,  
The blood reuenge of her inhabitant:  
Such was the fate of great Iudeas queen,  
That heaven on earth, whose like was never seen,  
over whose head, when in the angry sky  
Those airy horsemen to and fro did fly,  

Iosephus.  When that fierce face of vengeance dreadful stood,  
From heaven denouncing famine, plague and blood,  
And that th'olympian thunderer in his ire  
Had drawn his mighty sword and did inspire  
A spleen of Lions through the Roman host,  
T'avenge the blood of her dear prophets lost,  
Then did faire Sions forlorn daughter feel,  
Th'effects of trusting to defensive steel  
On strangers backs, who made her channels run  
With the dear blood of many a slaughterd son  
And they again in arms t'oppose the wrong  
Of the seditious soldier far too strong,  
Did often offer in a crimson flood  
Their lives to death, commixed with rebels blood,  
Twixt whom despoyld, great Salem conquered fell,  
Whom else to stoop proud Rome could not compel:  
That city then, that useth but her own  
For her defence and safety, feareth none  
But her own citizens, 'mongst whom, if this  
Or that mans base heart shall be submiss  
To coward fear, yet since no people frame  
A commonwealth, but can defend the same,  
Their fainting hands in time of need denyde,  
By others valour will be soon supplyde;  
For though soft case as queen in any state,  
Their reigning long, makes men effeminate;  
Yet when that people arms again shall take,  
Industrious practise joined with time, will make  
The fearful valiant, and the feeble strong;  
Which to another Canto doth belong.    

Illustrations. That do in strangers strengths their trust repose.  
MY Muse having briefly shewed, what manner of men the Romans did enrolle for souldiers, and after their enrollement, the oath of obedience to their Captains, she here shows how dangerous a thing it is to use the service of strangers, or to teach them, being thy subiects, the discipline of war. 
Hist. lib. 4. cap. 6.  Tacitus at large describing the rebellion of the Batauians, whose service the Romans had used in their warres, bringeth in their captain Ciuills, whom he there calleth another hannibal, encouraging them in their revolt with many forcible reasons; but especially with this one, that they had seen and learned the best of the romans military discipline, and this, when the later Emperours did make many Legionarie strangers, did after turn to the ruin of the roman state. Theodosius the Emperour, saith 
Hen. Sa. out of Zosimus.  Zosimus, Made Legionaries the Barbarians born beyond Danubius, whereby it came to pass, that having taught strangers their discipline and orders military, they were enforced at length to surrender the Empire to them, to whom they delivered their arms.  " When pay doth fail his faith and force doth fall. 
mercenary men are neither truly faithful in peace, nor truly valiant in war, of whom their is no other assurance, then they find surety of their pay, who having a courage no less ●ile and abject, then their inventions are corrupt, fol●owe warres for johann and spoil, the basest respect that can be in the mind of a soldier. Nich. Mach. saith, that those men, 
His art of war. lib. 1.  that do willingly serve and are not thy subiects, are always the worst of a province, who being of such infamous life and conversation, that like owls they fly the light of their own country, do willingly turn stipendary to any foreign Prince, of whose disloyalty he recites many examples of his time in the warres of italy. But no man did ever make more woeful experience of infidelity in mercenary men, then Lodwicke Ssorce Duke of milan, of whom because my Muse gives little light of knowledge, except to those, that before haue red the history, take it thus. 
Fran. Guic. Hist. lib. 4.  When Lewis the twelfth( to whom in his old age, the Lady mary, second sister to henry the eight was given in marriage) with the army of France descended into italy to invade milan, the dukedom of Lodwicke Ssorce, the Count Caiazze being the Dukes stipendary, with the same regiments which he had levied with his treasure, revolting, entred into the pay of the French King at his first approach. John Lewis de Fiesque with other Captains assigned to him for the defence of Millā, but chiefly Phillip de Fiesque, who trained up and advanced by the Duke, was left there for the credit and opinion of his faith, did all communicate so far in that infamy, that they did strive who should first deliver up the city to the King. The Captain of the castle which was thought impregnable, chosen above all others for the reputation of his faith and virtue, not abiding so much as one bullet, delivered it up to the French: and lastly, the Duke himself, having lost so great an estate through their disloyalty in eight dayes, thinking to expose his last fortunes to the hazard of a battle, was by the swissers, whom he had retained in pay and amongst whom he had divided his silver plate, and vessel, wanting coin to confirm their wavering faiths not onely forsaken in the field, but having obtained this last refuge to save himself, all other means of escape being taken away, to pass by the French army disguised amongst them, was as he marched in asquadron on foot, armed at all points as a Switz●r betrayed by them to his enemies and lead prisoner into France, which I haue here laid down, as a notable example of the infidelity of mercenary men.  " The cantoned nations whom those mountains feed. 
The swissers, a people, which 
Ger. descrip. lib. 4.  Tacitus calls the helvetians, a race of men naturally valiant, warlike, and rude, inhabiting the high 
Guic. Hist. lib. 10.  mountaines of Iura called S. Claudo, S. bridget, and S. Godat for the sterility of their country, more given to grazing thē totillage, are divided into thirteen Communalitie, which they call 
Sleid. Comment. lib. 3.  Cantons, and are thus name, Zutike, Bernes, Lucernae, Vra, Switz, Vnteruald, Glarea, Basille, Soludure, Fribourge, Shaf●sian, and Apecelle, all which are governed by several magistrates, whom yearly they elect and haue their peculiar laws, yet hold their Parliaments, general, wherein they dispute their universal affairs, and when they agree by public decree to deliver souldiers to the service of any Prince, the Cantons choose a captain general, to whom they give the banner with the ensign and name public. They were sometimes under the subiection of the Dukes of Austrich, but being oppressed by their nobility, and shaking off the yoke they procured their liberty, being since called swissers of that town Switz, which was the first of the Cantons, that did cast off the Empire of the Austrian Dukes, they haue been famous for natural valour joined with discipline both in defence of their country at home, and in service abroad; yet saith Guicciardine, their merit had been far greater, if they had set before their eyes an end more noble, 
Sleid. Comment. lib. 4.  then the desire of money. The principals of every Canton were wont to receive pensions of Princes to follow and favour their faction, until Zuinglius in his sermons dissuaded them of Zurike from the same, and thus much of that Nation.  

CANTO IV.  
The Argument.  
practise doth more then Nature can,  
In making up a martiall man.  
our city people, such as live secure,  
Whose soft limbs, neat composture, may endure  
No hardy proof, who Snaile-like ever shut  
Within their walls their heads do seldom put  
Into the air, but at each drop of rain  
And puff of wind do pluck them in again,  
May seem unfit for arms, and being men  
Of traffic and of trades, too dainty ben  
To march in stead of silks, from perfumed shops,  
In rugged steel o'er ragged mountaines tops:  
But powerful use, times wonder-working dame, 
The power of use& custom   
Labours swift handmaid, foe to sloth and shane,  
The Nurse of arts, of arms, and all great deeds,  
Men weak in mind and body both, so feeds  
With her sweet milk of practise, till they grow  
Men strong and valiant to resist the foe,  
And custom, who still harkens to the chime,  
Which truly guided by the clock of time,  
gives notice, how the shadow of the Sun,  
Though it but seem to creep, yet swift doth run  
Through the short hours of the dayes true dial,  
Makes, though unseen with wonder in each trial,  
Practise unto perfection faster grow,  
Then the Suns shadow through the day can go,  
For every child that generously bread,  
Shall be by custom natures sister lead  
To practise virtue, makes that seem it's own  
By nature, which by use in him is grown  
unto an habit, and though young in yeares,  
Anticipates his time, and old appears  
In spite of death, though it should blast his flower  
Of youthful May, made old in wisedoms power,  
Before youths april blossom can begin  
To sprout out in the bud vpon his chin,  
virtue in youth before age oft merits praise,  
Better die old in deeds, then old in daies,  
Then if that custom in the childes, that's young,  
Makes the souls faculties oft times more strong  
In the discuss of reason, then we find  
In elder age, much more in men enclinde  
To use of of arms, her power she doth show,  
Making weak limbs mighty in strength to grow,  
That enemy to sloth the little Ant,  
Whose daily labour never suffers want,  
The least of limb, that nature ere did frame,  
Who from her industry derives her 
Formic● à ferendis micis dicitur.  name,  
Doth practise first to bear a little grain,  
endeavours then a greater to sustain,  
And so by carrying to the common store,  
grain after grain, which scattered on the floor,  
She here and there doth find, at last alone  
She bears a body bigger then her own.  
" This timely use the Roman youth did make  
As nimble, and as light, when they did take  
The field all armed in weighty steel, as when  
In Tybur swimming, they haue naked ben;  
And will not now the self same cause, produce  
The same effect, custom and frequent use  
Do never fail to reach beyond the scope,  
Of that, which we do aim at in our hope;  
Behold how Londons armed infantry,  
Through practise in true rules of signory,  
By the drums martiall music often lead,  
The Pirrhic dance do now distinctly tread,  
Which if industriously they do pursue,  
And use that timely custom, which is due  
To warre-like practise, in despite of hate,  
Which evermore vpon desert doth wait,  
Times finger may engrave their industry  
Vpon Fames pillars to posterity:  
For practise doth produce more men of worth  
In wit and strength, then nature can bring forth,  
Now Natures paps are dry, who like a Nurse  
Ruth'ned with many yeares, or which is worse,  
Like to a weak or sickly woman, found  
Through diet or complexion, most unsound,  
Doth with her milk firm strength but seldom give  
To us, that in this latter age do live,  
When manly exercise, like wholesome food,  
Which after sickness doth augment the blood,  
Doth by degrees add strength to strength so long,  
Till weakness waxeth vigorous and strong,  
Nor is the rough-hewne rustic large of limb,  
For warres affairs to be preferred before him,  
Whose nature civil life hath softer made,  
Soft things are best, when violence doth invade,  
The mighty Babel-builders of our time,  
Those Nimredizers, who to heaven would climb  
By brick and ston, who oft in the conclusion  
coin wanting, make another strange confusion  
Of languages, for building never cut  
The hard rag from the stony quarry, but  
The softer ston, who seeming for to yield  
To stormy winds, doth best maintain the field;  
The greatest force with fury joined, will fail,  
When little strength well ordered will prevail:  
Then happy thou, thrice happy city, since  
In thee, as in the chamber of the Prince,  
A people of such strength so ordered live,  
To whom thy honoured state such laws do give,  
That from Auroras bower to Zephirs bed,  
And whence Orion lifts his stormy head  
unto the slow Bootes frozen wain,  
The eye of heaven scarce sees the like again,  
'gainst whom since envy, honours ancient foe,  
Detracting libels all about doth throw,  
Since I haue  told, what souldiers ought to be,  
And what thy Infant troope: I now to thee,  
Must turn my voice, and strike so high a string,  
That I in stately style thy worth may sing.    

Illustrations." This timely use the roman youth did make.  
THe romans well knowing the power of use and practise, did institute their Campus Martius, a 
Liu. lib. 2.  place betwixt Tibur and the old city, being part of the city which now standeth, called after the exile of Tarquin, whose field it was, sàrcos pedión, of being consecrated unto Mars; in this place, 
Nic. Mach in his art of war. lib. 2.  thus they did exercise their youth; they would arm them in plates of steel, which should weigh twice so much as the armor for the field; In stead of a sword they gave thē a cudgel leaded, farmore heavy which with a target against posts, of purpose fixed in the ground, they did exercise themselves, whereby they were not onely made more expert, nimble and strong; but by using their counterfeit armours, which were most heavy, their ordinary armor did seem as familiar as their daily apparel.  
This one thing likewise is noted by my author, quoated in the margin, that their Campus Martius was seated by Tibur, that they might being wearied with exercise on land, refresh themselves in the river, and thereby learn to swim, a quality both commendable and necessary in a soldier.  

CANTO. V.  
The Argument.  
London for soil, for seat, for sight,  
And dark antiquity the worlds delight.  
HEr happy state vpon that healthful soil,  

A description of London.  Is twixt two hills safe bulwarkt from the spoil  
Of tower-tearing Boreas, and the 
The Southwind.  slave,  
Whom E●lus locks up in his Libian cave;  
Admitting that fresh air, more pure and thin,  
Which gentle Zephirs milder breath brings in:  
" A goodly 
Paules.  fane built by that 
Ethelbert.  Kentish King,  
T'whom first that 
Augustine.  monk, the Christian faith did bring  
Doth crown her head, whose proud cloud-climing spire  
Was three times hapless burnt by heavenly fire,  
She holds in one hand, as a silver dish  
Of all the dainties appetite can wish.  
That 
Thames.  Prince of streams, who yields to those that live  
Within her walls, what land and seas can give:  
Vpon whose silver breast, a thousand sail  
To her proud towers their tops do yearly vale,  
Bringing rich wears unto that quiet road,  
From Africke, Asia, and their wild abode,  
That naked sand about the sunburnt strand,  
Where Zennes waves yield gold amongst the sand.  
In th'other hand she holds fields, orchyards, bowers,  
Faire walks, green pastures, gardens fraught with slowrs  
A glorious rob she wears, given unto her  
By mighty Princes, that of year did woe her,  
Wrought with faire temples, turrets, courts of kings  
And Princes houses, decked with precious things:  
Her stately train stretched out along the strand  
Of silver Thames, is held up by the hand  
" Of that faire 
Westminster  nymph, whose once poor Thorny place  
The first 
King Sebert  East Saxon Christian first did grace,  
Who hath from others since that honour won,  
" To crown our kings vpon the fatal ston.  
And as a champion to defend her state,  
Which Eastward open lies to foreign hate,  
Her royal Tower hoards up to keep foes under,  
Treasures of hail shot, lightning, and fierce thunder,  
" Whose walls the Norman victor first did raise,  
Which now do stand as trophies of his praise:  
O famous mirror of antiquity,  
Who can behold thy soils felicity?  
Thy wholesome air, thy ways so smooth and plain,  
That all this land yields not the like again,  
But must admire thy founders wit; and say,  
What God-like man did thy foundation lay;  
But who, alas, can lend me such a light,  
To lead me on through that Cymerian night,  
Of dark antiquity, to find the man,  
Whose happy hand thy building first began,  
humane conjecture is to weak a ground,  
On which the truth with confidence may found  
Antiquities original, and they  
Shall ever be at fault, who hunt the way  
Of common story, which our trust do blind;  
To light belief the truth doth seldom find,  
Yet did I list with those, that on the tide  
Of vain conceit, do sail without a guide  
Or other Cynosure, except the writs  
Of those, that in the mint of their mad wits,  
coin Princes names, I could from heaven above,  
By lord, by Belin, and by Brute from jove,  
Draw our descent, as it to me 't were known,  
Whose hand first laid our Londons corner ston,  
But( my de●re London) me it shall suffice,  
That North and South, from Suns set to the rise.  
* Thou art antiquities now standing glory,  
Of all the cities in this worlds large story:  
Vnmou'd thou art, in greatness growing still,  
As if some power of more then human skill  
A being here had purchased thee from fate,  
until this globy fabrickes final date;  
For though all cities as in sport and play,  
Like tennis balls by fortune played away  
through change of times, haue changed or place or name  
Yet thou in both art still the happy same:  
Where is the worlds proud mistress now become,  
Whose yoke thou once didst bear that first old Rome?  
Where great 
Constantinople.  byzantium, whose inverted name,  
proud Ottoman usurps to Europes shane?  
The first of these her first seat with her famed  
Long since hath lost; the last hath lost her name:  
But thou the same in name and site of place,  
From thy first birth with foes hast found such grace,  
That Lions like in rage they waxed could,  
When they thy virgin beauty did behold;  
And when our native britons fier'd with spleen,  
T'avenge Bunduicaes cause their ravished queen,  
" Did sack proud 
S. Albons.  Verulamium, and cast down  

Maldon in essex.  Camoladunum greatest in renown  
Of all this Ile, 
norfolk& suffolk men.  th' Iceni that did boil  
With fury 'gainst thy people, did not spoil  
Thy then forsaken seat, but did forbear;  
Though with the roman thou confederate were:  
They knew thy foreign traffic was the spring,  
That spread her plenteous streams with each good thing  
Through all this land, and with the Oceans spoil,  
Boue all their neighbours did enrich their soil;  
So far didst thou all other ports excel  
For navigation, as next song shall tell.    

Illustrations." Her happy seat vpon that healthful soil.  
whosoever shall judiciously survey the excellency of this cities situation, must confess the first founder to haue had the instructiue help of more then human wit. It is seated vpon a rising bank, and yet within a vale; vpon the South& North of it are two hills in almost an equal distance from it, that in the South running somewhat east of it, and being thereby shielded from the fiercer and foggier winds, it lies open to none but the milder west winds. The air is well known unto all men, that know in what degree this famous city stands, to be the most temperate of this whole island, neither doth the pestilence so frequent in it proceed of the unwholesome heaven over it, as the ignorant think, but of the immoderate gluttony and excessive intemperance, both of the inhabitants and all others, that resort thither from all parts of this kingdom; which 
Libel. de situ& nobilitate Londin published by I. stow.  Fitzstephens writing in the reign of henry the second thus noted, Solae pests Londini sunt immoderata stultorum potatio, &c. The soil it sand comixt with gravel abounding in springs; the road ways for more then twenty miles every way unto it are not onely for the most part smooth and plain, but in the midst of winter in respect of other places, faire and easy. It borders vpon one of the most famous riuers of the world, of which we will speak in the next Canto, and it so stands, that it could not haue been seated more commodiously in any other place of the same. For if it had stood more to the West, it should haue lost the ebbing and flowing: if more to the East, nearer to the danger of the enemy, and that no city of England, but London could minister all things requisite to the court of the Prince, the Parliament,& that world of people here resident in the four terms, wee haue an example in the daies of queen mary, whose displeasure against the city of London a certain courtier discoursing to an Alderman of the city, said she intended to remove the Parliament and term to Oxenford, to whom the Alderman wisely answered, that if she did not withall remove the river of Thames, the term and Parliament would more miss London, then London could miss the term and Parliament, which after proved true: for queen Maries purpose to remove them unto Oxenford was made frustrate, because provision of things necessary, especially of Hay could not bee made to serve for ten dayes; though that country and the shires adjoining, do yield the same as abundantly, as any other part of England and thus much of the scituaton.  A goodly fane built by that Kentish King. 
The Church of Saint Paul when christianity was received amongst the Saxons, which was about the year 600. was builded by Ethelbert king of Kent, the first of the Saxon Princes that received the faith, of whom more in the eight Canto. This Church by casuality of fire, being after burnt 
Sim. Dun.  anno. 1087 in the last year of the reign of William the first, was again begun to be new builded by Mauritius then Bishop of London, and perfected by those that succeeded him, but it was again fired by lightning 
Abr. Flem ex Fabian.  anno. 1444 of Hen. 6. ann. 12. and being again re-edified, it was lastly burnt by lightning an. 1561. of queen Eliz. an. 3. It was before it was last burnt, the onely wonder-worthie monument of this kingdom, the spire being just as high again, as that which now remaineth; for it is now 260. foot, and it was then 520 foot: It was thought before the light of the Christian Religion did chase away the Cymerian darkness of cursed paganism to haue been the place, 
cambden in Trinob.  where the temple of Diana stood, for she and Apollo were chief Deities amongst the britons.  
— Whose ●nce poor thorny place  
The first East Saxon Christian first did grace.  
The Church of Saint Peter in Westminster was found by Sebert king of the East Saxons, who by the example and persuasion of king Ethelbert was converted to the Christian faith; This place was by the Saxons of that time called Thorney, because it was all overgrown with thorns, and as in that place where now stands the temple of Saint Paul, in time past stood the temple of Diana, so in this place, where now stands the temple of Saint Peter, sometimes stood the temple of Apollo, out of whose ruins overthrown by 
cambden eodem loco ex Sulcardo.  an earthquake in the reign of the Emperor Antoninus pus: Sebert began the foundation of that, which since our kings especially henry the third, and henry the seventh adding to the same as much glory as art& cost could bestow, is by Leland justly titled orbis miraculum.  To crown our kings vpon the fatal ston. 
In the Saxon times, the inauguration of our kings was at Kingston vpon Thames. For William the conqueror was the first 
Stow in his survey.  king, that was crwoned at Westminster, where the coronation of his successors hath since continued, but touching the fatal ston, which is now in the chair at Westminster, brought thither out of Scotland by Edward the first as a monument of his absolute victory. The Scottish 
Hector Boet. If fate doth not deceive vpon the throne. The Scots shall reign where they shall find this ston.  writers call it fatale marmor, vpon which they say that Gathelus the first Scottish king sat at Brigantia in Galitia, as vpon his regal throne: from thence it was transported into Ireland by Simon Brech or Brechus, king of those Scottish men there planted, and after into Scotland by Fergusius chosen king of the british Scots, who had seated themselves in the North of this island, a fatal destiny, as they say, still following this ston, which in this couplet or distich King Keneth did cause to be engraven vpon it.  

Ni fallat satum, Scoti, quoquunque locatum,  
Inuenient lapidem, regnare tenentur ibidem.   

" Whose walls the Norman victor first did raise.   
The vulgar opinion is, that Iulius Caesar did build the tower of London, but like to this is that other dream of his founding the Bath, and that imposture thrust into the Scottish history of his building their Iulius Hoffe. For neither was his abode in this island so long, as to perform any such work as it is evident hy his own writings, neither did he make any such conquest as to design any such thing in his absence. The words of 
In the life of Agricola,  Tacitus his own countryman confirms it. The first of the Romans, saith he, that entred britain, was Iulius Caesar, who although he terrified the inhabitants with a battle which went on his side and gained the shore; yet may seem rather to haue shewed the place to posterity, then delivered to them the possession thereof. It is manifest that William the conqueror was first builder thereof, as appears by the words of a register book of the acts of the Bishop of Rochester, which are these, Gundulphus mandato Gulielmi regis magni, praefuit operi magnae turris London, quo tempore hospitatus est apud quendam Edmerum Burgensem London: That is, Gundulphus the Bishop by the command of king William did oversee the work of the great Tower of London, at which time he was lodged at the house of Edmerus a citizen of London. This was the square or white Tower which 
Mat. Paris.  William Rufus and henry the first amplified with a castle on the Southside towards the Thames, it was after enclosed with a wall or deep ditch by William Longchampe Bishop of Elic against the rebellious attempts of Prince John, his brother king Richard being then absent in the land of Palestine, ●h●re in many bloody conflicts against the saracens he won in mortal famed& glory to his name and country.  " Thou art antiquities now standing glory. 
Since the most of our ancient Bards taking the pleasure and liberty of feigning haue rather left us an image of their own invention, then of the truth, whereof they haue written, and since antiquity cannot be examined by foreign writers, except by such, who writ vpon the state of their own times, leaving Brute the supposed builder of this city, because neither greek nor roman author writing of Aeneas, and of the imagined father of our Brute, silvius, whom some make the son of Ascanius: others, as that 
Vir. Aen. lib. 6. After thy death, meaning Aeneas, Lauinia brings a king forth in the woods and father of kings, who was called Posthumus, because born after his fathers death.  Prince of Poets in this verse, the son of Aeneas himself.  
— Serum Lauinia coniux,  
Educet filuis regem, regumque parentem,  
Yet make no mention of Brute, nor of his strange killing of his father in the woods; things if they had been not easily ouerslipt by writers: I will begin at Caesar, whose pen was employed vpon the state of his own time. He about 1669. yeares since, making search into this island, and writing many things of the same calls this place 
Commen. l. 5  civitas Trinobantum, that is, not as some think, the city but the state of the Trinobantes: for a people using the same law: is always by him called civitas, so that not onely London, but the two shires of Middlesex and Essex, which after in the time of the Saxon heptarchy, were called the kingdom of the East Saxons, were then by Caesar called civitas Trinobantum, 
Annal. lib. 14. ca. 10.  Tacitus calls the people by the same name, inhabiting these parts; yet names this city London as now it is, of which in the next Canto. From these words, civitas Trinobantum, they that are tickeled with too much desire to rak their descent out of trojan ashes, do derive their Troia noua; but the opinion of that most reverent 
Cam. in Trinob.  antiquary is, that the word Trinobantes, is derived from the british words Trenant and Nouantes, both signifying towns and inhabitants in a valley: for London, Middlesex, and Essex, are seated, for the most part, in a vale vpon the river of Thames, and therefore the inhabitants then called Trinobantes, as they, that did inhabit gallovvay in Scotland, were for the same cause called in the british tongue Nouantes, and as now, they, that dwell beneath the mountaines of the swissers, are called 
Guic. lib. 10  Valislens of inhabiting the vale. But touching the first founder of this city, since the greatest searchers of antiquity can neither, find his name, nor what he was, all other cities, for the most part participating with London in this point, to bee ignorant of their first builder: my Muse here leaving the tradition of common writers to all, that will beleeue them, is content onely to know, that London is now one of the ancient cities of the world: for though it was in Caesars time, as all other cities of this island, but a wood, as he saith, the trees cut down and rudely composed for dwelling after their barbarous manner; yet was it at that time of great intercourse with the Merchants of Gallia and other countries, which Tacitus confirms, saying, that in the time of Nero, it was for concourse of Merchants, and provision of all things necessary, of great famed and renown: to which adding the testimony of 
Ammianus Marcellinus.  an ancient Author, who writing twelve hundred yeares since, called it at that time, a very ancient town, I affirm that it may boast antiquity with any now standing, it having the same situation from times unknown, long before Caesar, and retaining the same name sixteen hundred yeares known, though the name of this island were since changed.  
" Did sack proud Verulamium and cast down  
Camalodunum—  
Verulamium or Verlā and Camalodunum under the Roman government, by the testimony of Tacitus and Suetonius were the principal towns where their Legions did reside; the first, out of whose second ruins in the Saxon invasion, the town of Saint Albones took beginning, was, before the romans entered this Ile, the chief seat of Cassibelline king of the 
Hertford Buckingham and Bedford shire men.  Cattieuchlani, which being expugned by Caesar, was after in Neroes time, a Municipal city: that other, which is now Maldon in Essex, was the principal seat of Cunobeline king of the 
Middlesex and Essex men. . Trinobantes, Tiberius then being Emperor: unto this town after that 
Dion Cassius  overthrow given by Aulus Plautius, to Cunobilins sons, Catacratus and Togodumnus Claudius Caesar came in person, to whom an 
Tacitus calls it aram aeternae dominationis.  altar and temple were there erected, where planting a colony, he instituted Roman laws and customs, for which the name of Brittanicus, as a title of honour, waas given to his son, and the Senate at Rome did decree for him a most famous triumph. But of these two towns, the difference betwixt the municipal town of Verulamium and the colony of Camalodunum, was, as in an ancient 
Gellius ex oratione D. Hadriani ad Italicenses.  author I find it, thus, Municipia in civitatem extrinsecus assumuntur:& Coloniae è civitate educuntur: that is, they that lived in the municipal or free town, were such, as being strangers were received into the city by the favour of the romans, to be free of Rome as confederates, yet using their own laws, and capiable of any office in state, of which they had their name, á muneribus capiendis, and they that were of the colony, were such, as being native of the same city, used no other then the roman laws. Touching the overthrow of these two towns, the Brittans about ten yeares after Claudius Caesar, grudging the intolerable tyranny of the Romans, in the reign of Nero, and especially the 
norfolk and suffolk men.  Iceni, burning with desire to take vengeance, for abuse done to Bunduica their queen, and ravishment of her daughters, did conspire their liberty and reuenge and under conduct of their valiant queen, did not onely put to sack and spoil these two towns, as chief seats of their servitude and slavery, but in fury made, some say 
Tacitus.  seuentie thousand, others 
Dion Cassius  eighty thousand Romans and confederates pass by the sentence of the sword, but for this I refer you to history.  

CANTO. VI  
The Argument.  
Whence London doth derive her name,  
Her naval forces wonted famed.  
BEfore victorious Caesar left the Gaules,  
And did with wonder view the huge white walls,  
With which the stormy Neptune doth enclose  
His loved Albion, safe from foreign foes;  
Londons faire bosom was a harbour known  
To those, that first did hale the sails, and grown  
To catch the wind, to carry them away,  
From raging seas, that sought their lives decay:  
O what a nursing mother hast thou ben,  
To noble navigation and those men,  
That by their art th'vnweldie oak do bring  
To fly as fast, as birds of swiftest wing,  
And o'er the Seas to dance do teach the wood,  
That in the forest once unmoved stood,  
Some more then man, or some prophetik spirit  
gave thee thy name, foreseing, thou wouldst merit  
The same from others cities, knowing this  
" London in sense a naval city is:  
For once not he, that doth command the shores  
From hot Iberia to the curled Mores,  
Could show so faire a fleet, and which had won  
The seas large Empire, as thy Thames hath done:  
For this our virgine-Queene, who Goddesse-like  
That son of Babylon did thunder strike,  
With terror of her name, did hold thee dear;  
For all her happy daies, who durst appear  
Of any, that do grudge thy growing famed  
To ope their mouths against great Londons name;  
That sympathy, which like a love divine  
The steel and Load-stone doth so fast combine,  
Was not so great, as that, which was between  
Thy loyal subiects and that royal queen;  
The nimble barks of thy triumphant fleet,  
When with th'lberian Giants they did meet, 
Great Armadaes.   
And to the shores in thunder oft haue  told,  
Their battailes fought with them for Indian gold,  
Haue took the sceptre of the seas command,  
And put it into their Elizaes hand;  
Oft, as faire virgins in a Chorus lead,  
unto the politics sound do dainty tread,  
bark after bark, thy navy day by day,  
Fraught with rich spoils from hot America,  
Vpon the waves to thy safe harbour bound,  
Haue danced along the strand to trumpets sound,  
And glad of dangers past, in passing by  
Those pleasant woods, which far off they might eye  
" Vpon that fruitful countries hills, the key  
That opens Englands ports vpon the sea,  
unto that virgin in a voice of thunder,  
Haue spoken their duty, when their sails came under  
" That good Dukes house, which now the 
Greenwich  green bank names  
Whose princely towers doth ouerlook the Thames  
But where are now those many barks become  
That in this riuers road could scarce find rome;  
Or where great Neptunes sons, of whom such store,  
He did beget vpon our fruitful shore?  
brave wrestlers with the wind, whose skill can save  
themselves from trip of every dangerous wave,  
Do they( as some do think) each year decay  
By desperate diving in the Indian sea?  
Or doth some greedy-minded Midas touch  
turn them to gold, or doth th'industrious Dutch  
Through our own sloth in this long time of peace,  
In naval strength grow out of our decrease?  
If one, or all of these such ill produce,  
Let London seek redress for such abuse,  
And study to uphold her naval famed,  
From whence at first she did derive her name,  
That so each eye that envies at her good,  
May fear her navies force on Thames great flood,  
That king of riuers, whose 
LondonBridge.  rich-arched crown,  
Be girts his temples like a stately town,  
" Whom the pale 
he moon  queen of waters, and of woods,  
Doth most affect of all the fishfull floods,  
And he again, as if enamoured on her  
Oft at that time, when she doth take vpon her  
Her full-fac'd beauty, flowing, swells with ioy  
above his banks, and when as seeming coy,  
And mounting in the East aloof she keeps,  
Following her with his waves, the shores he sweeps  
From Goodwins sands with thousand wracks enriched,  
" As far almost, as where those stakes are pitched,  
Where Thames too shallow running by the shore,  
When the poor britons did his help implore,  
Could not impeach the roman host to pass,  
Where then this kingdoms Empire yielded was;  
And where the stout Cassibiline gave place  
To Caesars force, betrayed by Mandubrace.  
O noble Thames, who for thy quiet road  
Which to the wind-wrackt sails yields safe abode,  
When seas to seek for safety them compel;  
All other floods not onely dost excel,  
But for those ancient learned Bards of yore  
And modern wits, who bread vpon thy shore,  
And fed with sacred fire, haue sung the praise  
Of their great Maker in immortal lays,  
With voices so divine, that thou mayst dare  
With Tybur, Po, or Sein to make compare;  
Still mayst thou flourish, and still further flow  
With thy sweet stream, to grace faire London so,  
That future times to her may give that honour,  
Which former ages all bestowed vpon her:  
But carried with thy winding streams delight  
Beyond thy flow, London being out of sight,  
We do forget what glory she hath won  
By the great deeds of many a native son:  
Then let us with thy ebb fall down again,  
And taking land at London there remain,  
Preparing aptest style to sing the story  
Of her true noble arms and ancient glory.    

Illustrations." London in sense a naval city is.  
OF king Luds re-edifying London and leaving his name to the same, many having no better proof then his picture, late erected on the frontispiece of Ludgate, will condemn my Muse for not communicating in their opinion, to whom, though it should be granted, that such a king there might haue been, yet may it bee doubted where he did then find Masons and workmen for such a building, which they say he then erected: Caesar, who was an eye witness of what he hath written, Strabo, Tacitus, and others, all living after that time, under which the british history placeth lord, affirm a town with the Brittans in their times to haue been no other then a wood, as I before noted, in which they did raise rude cottages, fencing it about with a deep ditch and a trench, they having no houses, until 
Tacitus in the life Agricola.  Agricola lieutenant here under Domitian, did teach them to build Temples and places of public assembly, much less could they then use brick or ston; and though helen the mother of Constantine did, as 
Simon. Dunel. and Hen. Hunting.  some think anno, 306. build the walls of London; yet after that time Theodosius the younger being Emperor, anno. 434. I read that the Romans taught the britons for their defence against the incursions of the picts, to build a wall of ston, without whose direction they had no knowledge of that kind of building. The first man, that brought the Masons art of working of ston into this Ile( except that which the Romans had built) was 
John stow in his survey.  Bennet Abbot of Wirrall, who was Master to the reverent Bede anno 680. and therefore leaving those deriuations of name from lord and the like, my Muse lead by that great 
cambden in Trinobantibus.  light of antiquity, derives the name of London from her navigation, as having ever been a place of great shipping: for as saith mine author Lhongh in the british tongue signifies as much as naval or of ships, and the british word dinas, which the Latins turn to Dinum, signifies a city, so that Londinum or London imports as much as a city of ships. In a funeral Poem of Naenia, an ancient Bard or Poet amongst the britons, it is called Lhongh-porh, that is a port of ships; many cities haue had the like Etimoligie of name, as 
Strabo lib. 8  Naupactus a town in Aetolia, Nauplia a town in Argos, which were so called for the many ships that did frequent them. But from them and all other cities, London may justly challenge that naval name, being of such ancient famed and renown for shipping and merchants, as I before noted.  
" Vpon that fruitful countries hills, the key  
That opens Englands ports—  
My Muse viewing the wonted naval forces of this city and as one having been out at sea, in her return at the Thames mouth takes view of Kent, in all ages accounted the key of this kingdom, and therefore the Norman after his conquest of England to keep it the safer, appointed a Constable of Douer-Castle, and the same man Lord Warden of the 5. Ports, commonly called the cinque ports, according to the ancient custom of the Romans, who instituted a Praefect or Goruernour, called 
Amianus Marcellinus.  tractus maritimi comes. The Lord Warden of the cinque ports, is always one of the noble peers of this kingdom, preferred to that honour for reputation of his faith and virtue, as now of late is that noble Gentleman the Lord Zouch, one of our Soueraignes most honourable privy council: the names of the ports are these, dover, Sandwich, Rumney, heath and Hastings, the first four being in Kent, the last in Sussex, all which do enjoy many large privileges and immunities before other maritine towns.  That good Dukes house, which now the green bank names. 
The kings palace of greenwich was first builded by Hump●rcy Duke of gloucester in the reign of henry the sixth, which henry the seventh did much augment, and finished that house in the top of the hill, which was begun by the said Duke, it was royalized by the birth of henry the eight; but especially memorable, for that in the same the glory of her sex, that royal queen Elizabeth was happily brought to light; Duke humphrey cal● it Pleasance, but that name dyed with him, or not long after, it is now called after the name of the town greenwich; that is the g●eene bank. For the bank of a river is W●c in the german tongue) famous in times past, for the cruelty of the Danes against Ealphegus Archbishop of canterbury whom they there did martyr with most exquisite torments, whose martyrdom is set down, by an 
Apud Canden ex did mari Mersepurgij libro Clero. 8.  ancient writer of the same time.  
Whom the pale queen of waters and of woods  
Doth most affect of all the fishfull floods.  
This fiction of the ardent love betwixt the moon and the river of Thames is intelligible enou●h to all, that know the affinity betwixt her, the Ocean, and all moist bodies, whose influence is, as much( if not more powerful) on this, as on any river of Europe, as may appear by that admirable ebbing and flowing of the Thames, which from the Ocean flows up into the land little less then sixty miles, and sometimes more. The cause is, as well attributed to the motion of the celestial orbs, as to the moon from East to West, the river continuing his course the same way. The cause of the many differences of the Thames ebbs and floods, which on our coasts by foreign 
Tacitus in the life of Agricola.  writers hath long since been observed as a note of wonder: I leave as inscrutable, able to confounded another Stagerite, of whom it is 
Coelius Rododogunus antiquarum lectionum lib. 29 cap. 8.  said, seeking into the Oceans strange and universal motion in this kind, that he died of grief and vexation of not finding out that hiden secret. One note more of this famous river, is, that as it is more navigable, so doth it communicate the commodities of navigation farther into the land, then any river of this kingdom. The stream from the spring, where it doth rise, which is in the plains of Coteswold by Tetburie in Glocestershire, until it fall into the Ocean, shooteth and windeth itself between the land one hundred and 80. miles.  " As far almost as where those stakes are pitched. 
That is, near Otelands where the river at this day being scarce six foot deep; Cassibiline and his britons, to impeach the passage of Caesar and his Romans, did pight sharp stakes vpon the bank and in the bottom of the river, of which that place is at this day called Coway stakes. The reverent Bede describing them to be as big as a man thigh, says, that when he lived, they were there to be seen.  

CANTO VII.  
The Argument.  
Londons faire arms with honour won,  
And grace to her by Princes donne.  

THis queen of cities, Lady of this Ile,  
So happy seated both for air and soil,  
Famous in name from all antiquity  
To keep the same unto posterity:  
Vpon her lap did nurse those sons of famed,  
Whose deeds do now nobilitate her name;  
From her faire bosom sprung that royal stem,  

Constantine the great.  Who, for the worlds imperial Diadem  
Did with his britons, famous then for arms,  
Oppose Maxenius and his magic charms;  
And in the East his standards did advance,  
Where proud Licinius fell beneath his lance,  
And in Byzantium planted Caesars seat,  
Where for his conquests he was stilde the Great;  
There of that ancient city he did frame  
Another London, giuing it his name,  
Which on the Thracian Bosphorus his strand,  
As London vpon Thames alike doth stand,  
Nor did he there blot out of memory  
His native London here in Brittanny,  
But did confirm to it that happy name   

Of great Augusta, adding to the same  
The honor of his mint, with charge to join  
Great Londons name to Caesars in his coin:  
But we will here let pass those mighty men,  
Those royal kings and Princes, that haue ben  
Her foster children, neither will I sing  
That 
manned the Empresse daughter to henry 1.  daughter, wife, and mother of a king,  
Though London born, nor of those battailes tell,  
In which she being victor did compel  
Stout steven to stoop, and on the throne did set  
Her royal son our first Plantagenet;  
But let us look within thy walls, 
henry. 2.  if any  
Of thy grave Senate, among whom so many  
Haue swayed thy sword of iustice, ought haue done,  
Whose famed unto thy name renown hath won.  
Their glory like a flamme in darkest night,  
Which dims a tapers shine, obscures the light.  
Of feigned honor, which to many yet  
In this blind age, is like a Sun that's set  
'mongst envies clouds, no pencil yet that lims  
So like the life; no Muse that with sweet hyms  
Out at the ear can steal the soul, doth sing  
Of Londons famed, or unto light doth bring  
Ought worthy of thyself, although thy name  
A subject be, that fits the trump of famed;  
What famous Muse did ever yet rehearse  
That noble act, though worthy golden verse,  
And with the stars eternally to shine,  
Done by that worthy Senator of thine,  
Who when that Kentish rebel ready stood  
With dagger drawn to  shed young 
Richard 2.  Richards blood;  
And none, who then about the king did stand,  
In his defence durst lift a loyal hand,  
Did with his dagger strike the monster dead,  
And by one blow, by which his blood is  shed,  
Did save from death, destruction and decay.  
The king, the state, and all that breathed that day,  
" For which the dagger of so brave a hand  
On Londons crossed shield shall ever stand,  
As the faire ensign of that honor got,  
By merit of the noblest dead, and not  
Like that, which begged and bought through every age  
To upstart gentle, gives a feigned badge,  
Whose scutcheons wanting colours of desert,  
Are painted by the hand of bribed art,  
Which truth, as things of scorn shall wash away,  
And future time shall laugh at their decay;  
When that brave bloody cross vpon thy shield,  
And that revenger set in silver field,  
Shall stand for ever and to every age,  
Though tonglesse tell thy honors; for no rage  
Of iron-toothed time shall them devour,  
Nor cloud-browd envy shall, though it do lower  
Vpon the honor of thy Walworths name,  
Be ever able to obscure the same:  
O famous man, had Rome so happy ben,  
To haue enjoyed so brave a citizen  
Amongst her worthies, what would she haue done  
To thy great act, such glory to haue won?  
If unto him, whose hand did hap to save  
The life of one mean citizen, she gave  
For guerdon of his dead, a crown, a spear,  
And as a mark of honor chains to wear:  
What ornaments of triumph could haue ben  
To mean for thee, or for those worthy men,  
That after thee successively did sway  
Our Londons sword of Iustice to this day:  
" Shall Philpots acts, whose 
Philpot Lane.  dwelling place and name  
Our streets record, though men forget the same,  
Be drowned in Laethe or in silence sleep,  
Who like a Neptune did command the deep,  
And did, when greater men stood looking on,  
From foes defend his native wares alone;  
For when that 
Mercer a Scottish pirate.  stout sea-rouer vncontrould,  
Vsurper-like through his great power did hold,  
The sceptre of our northern seas, and strooke  
The shores with terror, when he cast his look  
Vpon the marine towns, whom oft by stealth  
Through covert of the night despoyld of wealth,  
In flames he offered up, and with rich pray,  
As slaves did lead th'inhabitants away,  
Who then but Philphots warlike ships unknown  
To king or state, did stoutly set vpon  
That strong sea-thiefe, whom sea-men all did shun,  
As braying goates do from the lion run,  
From whom the seas large Empire they did win,  
And with rich prise did bravely bring him in,  
" Nor may I here renowned Exton pass:  
In whom the world, as in a perfect glass,  
May see the image of stout constancy  
Against corruption and base treachery;  
For when that wanton Richard shut his cares  
Against the council of his faithful peers,  
" Whose fall, that head composed by magic spell  
unto the world, though tonglesse did foretell,  
Who sucking poison from the pleasing breath,  
Of soothing Sycophants, did seek the death  
Of his dear uncle, and did think t'employ  
Our Londons loyal Exton to destroy  
That royal Prince, he would not dip his hand  
In guiltless blood, but did the king withstand,  
And at that time the noble Duke did save  
With many peers from their untimely grave.  
O faithful constancy where art thou fled?  
just heaven with those great worthies that are dead,  
Hath wrapped thee hence, where sithence thou hast ben,  
Too little faith is left in living men:  
Thus thou, our mother city still didst bear  
The fruit of golden glory, men, that were  
Both for their faith, and valour more renowned,  
Then for their wealth in which they did abound,  
Who like true Senators in peace and war,  
Did sit vpon thy states tribunal chair,  
To Londons glory purchasing renown,  
By Mars his sword, as well'as by the gown;  
For in that time, when England woeful stood,  
hacked full of wounds and dabbled all in blood  
Of those whose gored bosoms weeping bled  
Drops of life blood for those, that could not  shed  
tears for themselves, when civil hate did set  
" The royal Roses of plantagenet  
So deep in crimson gore, that few could learn  
How from the read the white Rose to discern;  
Then did the Elders of thy state set forth  
Their virtue to the world, whose onely worth  
Eu'n in the jaws of ruin still did raise  
Thee up again in those death-threatning dayes;  
For when on Henrie● heaven had so decreed  
T'avenge his Grandsire Henries bloody dead,  
That as a Richards blood did henry stain,  
So by a Richard henry should be slain,  
Then did that giddy people in their rage,  
March under stout rebellion, treasons badge  
And lead by that false 
jack Cade  Mortimer of Kent,  
Who did usurp that name by Yorkes consent,  
Like to a thunder in a tempest fell  
down from the Kentish hills, and did compel  
Their way into thy streets, where traytor-like  
Their captain on thy 
Londons ston.  ston his sword did strike;  
But thy bold elders, whose persuasive words  
Could not prevail, betook them to their swords,  
And with hot fight enforced those to yield,  
That had before been victor of the field;  
And after in succeeding Edwards reign,  
When Faulconbridge by fire would constrain  
Thee ope thy gates, those Senators of thine,  
undaunted Basset, and bold Iosseline,  
With many more, did through those hostile flames,  
Which burnt their gates, rush out with loud exclaims  
Vpon their foes, who fainting in the fight,  
Did turn their backs and gave themselves to flight;  
For which our kings, on many a cittie-sonne,  
That arms and gentry by the sword had won  
Did lay their swords, and for their loyal faith,  
" conferred on some the honor of the Bath:  
But many here perhaps with narrow eyes  
Looking on Londons glory, may despise  
These things, as toys, and boasting their descent  
From jove himself, will wish fames looks were rent,  
Rather then with their gentry in the same,  
True honour any cittie-borne should name;  
For many now the name of London scorn,  
Whose ancestors were London bread and born,  
But in their glory virtue must haue part,  
For though, that for a fathers good desert,  
Honor be given, as imputed good  
To all, that are of his descent and blood;  
Yet with their blood it is not captive bound  
up in their veins, not else where to be found,  
As orient pearls and precious gems adorn  
Beauties faire neck, so nobly to be born  
gives to posterity a glorious name,  
Yet virtue was first author of the same,  
And famed Ioues herald, who best knows such things  
From good desert, derives the blood of kings,  
And says, who vaunts of arms and wants good deeds  
Vpon the sweet of borrowd glory feeds,  
As vpon others honey drones do live,  
The sword and gown the bravest arms do give.  
That 
Edward 3.  Diamon-sparke of honour, scourge of France,  
Fierce thunder-bolt of war, beneath whose lance  
In four main battailes fought in bloody field,  
five mighty kings subdued, did fly or yield,  
Thought it no blemish to his kingly worth,  
" As champion for his London to stand forth  

The great honour done to London by this king.  With his four sons, when on his royal tent  
To twice ten thousand eyes he did present  
Our cities arms, in honour of whose name,  
'gainst all the world a iousts he did proclaim,  
And with his sons, who well knew how to wield  
The weighty lance, did take th'appointed field,  
Where in guilt arms beneath a goodly plume,  
He bore the prise from all, that durst presume  
To be appelants in the tilt for famed  
'gainst his bold challenge, in his Londons name;  
well did he know, whose iudgment nought could wrong,  
To whom the right of honour did belong,  
And at that time, as Phoebus, though each night  
To all the stars he do impart his light,  
Yet to the moon his lustre chiefly lends,  
So he, although to all deserving friends  
The sun-shine of his grace he did extend,  
Yet did his greatest light of glory lend  
unto our London, pillor of his state,  
His arm of strength, his shield 'gainst foreign hate:  
In his triumphant dayes, four royal kings  
With that black Prince, whose fortunes on the wings.  
Of victory did ride, till in deaths field  
Fate with his life did bid his fortune yield,  
All at one time did our Piccards board did grace,  
Where plenty in triumph take her place,  
On whom attending, bounty was so free,  
That majesty itself may witness be,  
How Honor harbourd was in her faire breast,  
" Whose Maior Monarch like four kings could feast,  
But these her vading glories must give place  
To her diviner gifts of heavenly grace,  
Long since a safe Assylum she hath been  
unto poor persecuted Christian men,  
And oft hath shadowed them beneath her wings  
From th'inquisition of blood-thirsting kings,  
For which all good from heaven on her hath flowed,  
As in th'ensuing Canto shall be showed.     

Illustrations. 
" But did confirm to it that happy name  
Of great Augusta—   
MY Muse having briefly recorded our Londons situation, antiquity and derivation of name, begins the hymn of her honour with the title of Augusta, being a 
Augustus, quasi hoins natura amplior cognominatus est octauius. Dio. li. 5  name of great honor and dignity, which was given as an happy or auspicious name to cities, of whose future happiness there was great hope; some, as I noted before, haue thought, that London took this name of the Legion Augusta there sojourning. howsoever Constantine the great, son of helen, d●ughter to coil King of britain 
Fitzstephens libel. de situ& nobilitate Londini published by John Stow●  born in London to confirm the name to it, appointing his mint herein London, vpon whose coin is red 
cambden in Trinobant.  P Lon. S. that is, pecunia Londini signata, called the overseer of his treasury, as it is in Notitiarum libro, praepositus Thesaurorum Augustensium in Brittannia. Here I wish to be noted, how Princes in times past haue honoured this city. Edward surnamed the Confessor for his faith and holinesse of life, styled London, Caput regni& Legum; which the Conqueror succeeding confirmed: the great Charter of England saith, civitas London habeat omnes suas leges antiquas, kng John called it Regni firmata columna, king Richard the second styled it Camera Regis, as here and there you may read in the passages of my Poem; since which time, if there be not the like or more true desert of honour in this city, let comparison of this later and now present state to the former, decide it.  
For which the dagger of so brave a hand,  
On Londons crossed shield shall ever stand.  
Though the original of this cities honourable arms bee not unknown, scarce to any, that hath but looked vpon London; yet since writers do varie, touching the manner, take it briefly from 
Abr. Flo● out of the Annals of Hen. Knighton.  henry Knightone, Cannon of Lecister, then living, thus. When Wat tiler anno 4. of Richard the second, captain of that commotion, raised chiefly vpon abuse, done to maides, in collecting that money called pole shillings, by some pole greates for all, that were vndergrowne, that is, that had hair growing on their privy parts, backed by many thousand rebels, came to the king in Smithfield, where approaching so near unto him, that he might touch him, and having in his hand a naked dagger with which boy-like playing, and tossing it from hand to hand, he presumptuously demanded not onely reformation of the abuse before spoken, but many things prejudicial to the kings royal prerogative: the king, though then of age not fifteen yeares complete, and having but few of his seruants or true subiects about him, yet by silence and delay seemed to deny the same, which the rebel perceiving drew near unto him, and taking hold on his horses bridle, had there, as it is to bee doubted, slain the king, his seruants and followers looking on, had not John walworth Maior of London, preferring duty to his king and country before the safety of his own life thrust his dagger into the rebels throat; for which the king did after add a dagger to the arms of London, in the right quarter of the shield, which as a true badge of honor all men may reverence since by that one act, as jack Straw, next in reputation amongst the rebels to Wat Tiler at his death confessed, the king the nobility, the gentry, and the city of London( which should haue been fired in four partes and lacked that night, before which Wat tiler was slain) were preserved from destruction: of this if you desire more, every chronicle is copious.  
Shall Philpots acts whose dwelling place and name  
Our streets record—  
Sir John Philpot Maior of London anno 2. of Richard the second, one of those, that for his valour shewed in that action against the rebels before mentioned, was knighted by the king, amongst many other 
John stow his survey  his worthy deeds as having often supplied his sovereign, by lending him great sums of money, and having of his own cost furnished Thomas of Wodstockes army, consisting of eight thousand men with ships, to pass them over into Brittannie, having likewise released the armor of one thousand of the said souldiers, pawned for victuals, did at his own charge( our Coasts being then grievously afflicted with that arch Pirate 
Ralph. Hol●●●n, in Rich. 2  Mercer a Scottish man) wage a thousand souldiers, bestowing them in his own ships, for to overthrow or take this Pirate; for which, the Lords of the council did after check him with the note of presumption, in setting forth a navy of men without their authority, though the action did turn to the general good of this kingdom, which may seem to haue been a pattern to George Talbot earl of Shrewsburie, who anno 28. of henry the eight, having raised a power against the rebels in the North, did put forth this question, whether his fact in levying a power without commission, though it were against the rebels, might be brought within offence to the laws, to which, though answer was made, that it was justifiable: yet he not trusting to the same, did sue the kings pardon, of whom he might haue expected thankes. This Sir John Philphot hath left his name to the lane, where he dwelled, of which and of much more land about it he was Lord when he lived.  Nor may I here renowned Exton pass. 
This Sir Nicholas Exton was Maior of London anno 10. of Richard the second, whose honourable act, touched by my Muse, I thus explain. When 
ralph Hol●●●● in Rich. 2.  Richard the second, incensed by his minnions, Robert veer earl of Oxenford, and Michael de la Pole earl of suffolk, did intend the death of his uncle Thomas of Woodstocke Duke of gloucester with other peers, who then in Parliament did favour the suite of the commons, against the said earl of suffolk,& to give effect to this horrible fact, wickedness in all ages wanting no ministers, Sir Nicholas Brember promising his assistance in the execution thereof, did devise, that the Duke and other peers under pretence of being invited unto a supper at this Sir Nicholas Extons house, then Maior of London, should be there murdered. To join in this action, the king did solicit the Maior with large offers of his favour, and that failing thundered forth the threatenings of his kingly displeasure; but this worthy citizen accounting that honour infamy, which should be attained by such unlawful means, and more fearing the offence of God& a good conscience, then the displeasure of his king, not so much, as yielding connivency to the fact, did by the revealing the plot to the Duke, deliver both him and many other noble men from death.  " Whose fall that head composed by magic spell. 
Such as haue their fall determined, are seen to decline by degrees, of which, this king may be an example, whose fall, after the death of his vnckles, whom he took to be his enemies, grew fast vpon him, through the hate of his own subiects: many sad predictions did go before the woeful change of so royal a king to a wretched Captine, amongst whom, this spoken of by the Muse was thus: In that Parliament of this kings reign, held at Westminster and called the merciless Parliament there was an head made of wax by art 
ralph. Ho●len. in Rich.  magic, which at an hour appointed to speak uttered these words thrice, and then ceased; first: The head shall be cut off: secondly, The head shall be lifted up aloft: and lastly, the feet shall be listed up above the head. About this time were many ominous prodigies the great 
Th●m. Wa●sing in Rich● 2. pag. 341.  coniunction of those two planets jupiter and Saturne then happening, after which followed not onely the injurious dep●sing and lamentable murdering of this king, of which all the Princes of Europe spake shane, but with it the two bloody factions of those famous houses of york and Lancaster, descended from plantagenet, of whom in the next place.  The royal Roses of plantagenet. 
The surname of plantagenet began in henry the second and ended in Margaret countesse of salisbury, daughter to George plantagenet, Duke of Clarence, who was beheaded anno 33. of henry 8. but of the factions of york and Lancaster having often spoken in my Poem, I briefly give you their original thus, Edward the third on his wife queen Phillip begot seven sons Edward the black Prince, William of Hatfield dying without issue; Lionel Duke of Clarence, John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster, edmond of Langley Duke of york, Thomas of Woodstocke Duke of gloucester, and William of Windsor, who dyed young: Edward the black Prince deceassing before his father, left Richard his son, who succeeding his grandfather in the kingdom, was by henry of Bullingbrook Duke of Lancaster son to John of Gaunt king Edwards fourth son, bereft both of life and crown, which from the issue of Lionel Duke of Clarence King Edwards third son, was usurped by the Lancastrian Kings, henry the fourth, fifth, and sixth of that name, until Kichard Duke of york, claiming the crown anno 39. of henry the sixth did derive his title from Lionel Duke of Clarence third son of Edward the third, this Lionel had issue onely a daughter called Phillip, who married to edmond Mortimer earl of March, had issue by him a son name Roger: to Roger no issue survived, excepting Anne, which Anne given in marriage to Richard earl Cambridge son to edmond of Langley, Duke of york; King Edward the fourths son, was mother to this Rcihard Duke of york, who to obtain the right of his tittle, or to make way for his sons, who after obtained the crown, lost his life in the battle of Wakefield, so that york descended from the third and fift son of Edward the third united, and Lancaster from the fourth: The royal Roses were the two cognisances of both the houses, John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster giuing for his badge the read Rose, and edmond of Langley, Duke of york for his badge the white Rose.  Conserd on some the honour of the Bath. 
When jack Cade or John Mend-all, titling himself John Mortimer Cousin to the Duke of york, that he might feel the hearts of the people, before the Duke should publish his title to the crown, came to London with his rebels anno 29. of henry the 6. where he stroke his sword vpon Lond●n ston saying now Mortimer is Lord of this city: the citizens daily burdened with the abuses of the rebels, under the leading of captain 
ralph Holl. in Hen. 6.  Matthew Goche, famous for his acts in the Frenchwarres, did valiantly set vpon the rebels, and driving them over the bridge into southwark, though with the loss of the said captain, John Sutton Alderman, Robert Heisand and many other hardy citizens, did so daunt them, that the kings pardon once proclaimed, they left their captain and returned every man to his own home. jack Cade flying into Sussex was there slain by Alexander Eden, an Esquire of Kent. Likewise when the rebel Thomas Neuill bastard to the Lord Faulconbridge assaulted by the city anno 10. of of Edward ●. with a power of 17000 men setting fire unto the gates of the same, the citizens did not onely defend the places assaulted, but issuing out, did through their valiancy, put the enemies to flight with great slaughter, for which 12. Aldermen, the Recorder and diuers others citizens were knighted by the king in the field, two of which, as Sir Ralph Ioceline Draper, 
John stow in his survey  and Sir Matthew Phillips Goldsmith, with Sir Thomas cook Draper, were made knights of the Bath, anno. 5. Edward the fourth, which order, though as others, which now corrupted may seem to smell, yet in times past was of great honour and in high esteem. These knights of the Bath, so called of certain curious ceremonies of Bathing and watchings, were onely created at the baptizing, coronation, or marriage of Princes.  
As champion for his London to stand forth,  
And his four sons—  
This was king Edward the third, who triumphed in battle over five kings, as Phillip king of France, who lost the battailes of Cresseie, Charles king of Boheme, slain in the same battle, john the French king successor to Phillip taken prisoner by the black Prince in the battle of Poicters; henry the bastard king of spain overthrown by the black Prince in the bloody battle of Nauarete, and david king of Scotland taken prisoner in that battle fought by Durham. This victorious king anno regni 33. did appoint a solemn Iousts to bee kept in Smithfield in the honour of London, the French and Scottish kings being then his prisoners, where he with his four sons Edward, Lionel, John and edmond, with nineteen other great Lords, held the field for the Maior and his three and twenty brethren; there then being but four and twenty Wards of London, Farringdon Ward after anno. 17. of Richard the second being of one, for the largeness thereof divided into two, and Bridge Ward anno. 4. of Edward the sixth being purchased of the city.  Whose Maior Monarch-like four kings could feast 
These four kings Edward the third of England, John of france, david of Scotland, and the king of cypress who came into Englaad at the same time about some affairs with the king, were with Edward Prince of Wales and diuers other great States feasted at one time by henry Picard Maior of London at his house, where he kept his hall at the same time for all noble men, or other that were willing to play at the dice or hazard, his Lady keeping her camber to the same purpose for all Ladies and Gentlewomen:  

CANTO. VI  
The Argument.  
London with light of Grace endewd,  
Heau'ns blessings, her ingratitude.  
THe kings of Gods, Monarch of heaven, and Lord  
Of land and Seas, who by his onely word  
Made Earth our grandams barren womb to bear,  
Hath chosen London for his Sion, where  
The sons of men should with true praise adore  
His sacred deity, who with that whore  
Of Babylon themselves should not defile,  
Whose witchcrafts our late fathers did beguile:  
But keep that truth and that true worship teach,  
Which t'our forefathers that grave 
joseph of Arimathea.  man did preach;  
Who in his tomb did with blessed hands enshrine,  
The glorious body of the most divine  
Vpon his grave, which Glaslenburie shows  
" That holy thorn, this islands wonder grows,  
To which, as if that reverent place did give  
A power more then natural to live,  
That sacred bush as th'incarnations badge,  
White blossoms bears, when winter most doth rage,  
And since that happy time hath London ben  
The Nurse of piety and pious men,  
Who fearing neither death, nor raging ire  
Of bloody Tyrants with their blood in fire,  
Sealing the truth, and closing up their breath,  
Haue soared to heaven up on the wings of death,  
And heaven for this like shewres of rain hath  shed  
Alternate blessings on her happy head:  
For in times past her state did not aspire  
unto that greatness which we now do admire,  
For through all ages as Apollos Bay  
When Winters breath blows Summers green away,  
'mongst leau●lesse trees a leafie top doth show,  
So hath she flourished and still great doth grow,  
Through powerful virtue of her laws divine,  
When all het neighbouring cities do decline,  
Whose wants with her abundance she de doth feed  
Yet of the same herself doth find no need  
As seas int'other brooks their waters poor,  
Yet they themselves want nothing of their store.  
'mongst Christian cities justly mayst thou claim  
The glory of an elder sisters name,  
And 'mongst thy honors count it no mean thing,  
" First to haue seen the worlds first 
Lucius.  Christian king,  
Whose soul with errors canker overspread,  
When power divine had purged and it had fed.  
Vpon th'Ambrosia of the heavenly word,  
He did cast out thy Pagan gods abhorred  
With their Arch-Flammins, and in thee did place  
Holy Theanus, giuing him the grace  
Of Prelates primacy, and not amiss,  
Thou being then this Iles M●tropolis;  
twice seau'n succeeding prelates in the chair,  
The mitre did as Englands primates wear;  
But when thy Pasto●s and thy people both,  
Through plenty pust with pride so much did loathe  
celestial Manna, that our angry God  
Scourging the Britons with an iron rod,  
Did justly cast them out, and in their place  
The English Saxon did receive to grace,  
Then didst thou lose thy ecclesiastic right,  
And as that briton 
Ambrose Merlin prophesy, that faith should fail and then reuieue, when the See of London should adorn canterbury.  Bard, to whose foresight  
Things future were as present, had foretold.  
Industrious Augustine, who did unfold  
The mysteries of heau'ns free mercy shown  
To th'english first, though then to them unknown,  
" transferred thy Pall by help of kingly power,  
From thy great Thames unto the Kentish stour,  
Yet though he did iuiuriously translate  
Thy honorary dignity of state  
He left to thee, what now renownes thy name,  
True zeal, the glorious badge of Christian famed,  

Gods blessings vpon this city.  For which great Natures God and first Creator,  
'mongst all the cities in this worlds theatre,  
Hath thus long kept thee safe from dangers doubt,  
When thou hast seen destruction round about,  
Oft with stern visage wrinkled full of frowns,  
The air hath rent and torn thy bordering towns,  
Oft hast thou heard thy neighbours sad exclames,  
Deuourd by Mulcibers remorslesse flames,  
beholded whole countries with their fruitful land,  
swallowed by seas, and turned to fruitless sand,  
Where hounds haue coursd the hare, seen fishes scud,  
And ships to sail, where sheep haue chewd the cud,  
Dearths daughter, famine eating up the store  
Of all the land hath swallowd rich and poor,  
And hard vpon thy walls hath often been  
Yet never or but seldom entered in:  
stern Mars, whose rage no mortal may resist,  
Who with the buffets of his brazen fist  
Doth knock down states, and with one fingers push  
bowers, towers, and towns doth into pieces crush,  
With blood& spoil thy neighbour France being wasted  
Hath with his breath her fruitful vineyards blasted,  
And with his arm hath bruised the Belgians bones,  
And made air sigh with proud Iberias groans;  
When heau'ns haue shadowd thee with wings of love,  
As hens their brood from rau'nous birds above,  
And if thy God, whom thou in every age,  
Hast too too oft by sin provoked to rage,  
Doth punish thee, he frowning father-like,  
Doth with that plague thy disobedience strike,  
Which Iudaes 
david.  Prophet, Prince, and sweet voyc't Poet,  
Of all the three did choose, who well did know it  
More happy and far better to haue ben,  
To fall into the hands of God then men.  
But why, thus watered with the plenteous showers  
Of heavenly rain, dost thou yield weeds for flowers?  
Why dost thou say, that men shall never cease  
About thy streets to sing the song of peace?  
Where painted Iezabels in loose attire  
With eyes of lust, and looks that sparkle fire,  
Kindling desire in every wandring eye,  
steal out the heart of him that passeth by,  
Where Ahabs sad oppression, and that wrong, 
The common sins of this city.   
That grinds the poor to dust, grows great and strong:  
Where Abels blood to heaven for vengeance calls,  
And loathsome surfet reels against thy walls,  
The seruants of thy elders, through thy tribes,  
With leprozie of false Gehezas bribes  
Are taken in the hands, and loose the sense  
Of feeling any great mans great offence,  
Blasphemous mouths with pestilence and death  
Corrupt thy air, in which they take their breath,  
Whose too too common oaths are grown so great,  
That out at thy wide gates they cannot get,  
But sticking on thy posts and walls, do stand  
As tokens of that plague that's still at hand.  
Thy young men are become extortioners,  
Thy beardless boyes grow subtle usurers,  
Thy strong men saint, their strength doth vade like smoke  
Thy women rule, and men do bear the yoke;  
Who through thy streets their costly pride do show,  
Like Sions daughters mince it to and fro,  
Whose earings, wimples, vailes, and crispingpins  
Are trifles to their tires, the bawdy 'gins  
To trap the gazer, and the certain hooks  
To catch the thoughts and captivate the the looks:  
At their false eyes, that bold-fac'd pander pride  
To wanton lust the windows open wide,  
Exiling thence ill-mannerd modesty,  
As one too bashful for their company:  
Friendship and kindred shun the man that's poor,  
Against blind Homer each man shuts his door:  
Capon-cramd Foxes do devour by slight  
The childrens portions, and poor orphans right,  
All friendly love, except love, is dying,  
Iustice is bought, and faith away is flying.  
But up dear London, up, arise betimes  
To cry loud, lest thy lowd-crying crimes,  
preventing thy repentance drowned in sloth,  
Vpon thy head, do bring down sudden wrath:  
To suck sweet honey now at length begin  
From that faire herb of Time, to turn from sin,  
Whence thou too long in thy prosperity,  
Hast sucked the poison of security:  
So shalt thou prosper still, and never doubt,  
Though seas of danger circled thee about,  
The King of glory shall exalt thy name,  
heaven self shall be the trumpet of thy famed;  
But now t'is time, since thus long we haue been  
About thy streets to see thy state within,  
To view thy surface and behold without,  
What walls of strength do bulwark thee about.    

Illustrations. That holy thorn, this islands wonder grows.  
ALL the honourable attributes worth, and glory of this city before mentioned, do come short of this one, that through all ages, it hath been the Nurse of piety, good letters and religion, which joseph of Arimathea, who butted the body of our saviour, sent hither by 
Chronicon. Glascon.  Phillip the Apostle here planted: patrick the Apostle of Ireland, affirms it in an Epistle of his, who led a solitary life thirty yeares in the Abbey of Glastenburie, where he saith, and the ancient monuments of the Abbey confirm it, that he was butted: for which this place was called by our Elders, 
In a charter of liberties made to the same Abbey by Hen. 2.  Prima terra Dei,& prima sanctorum terra in Anglia: Here, as I haue been credibly informed by the inhabitants about that place, and as it is by diuers writers recorded, an Hathorn doth grow which blossometh every Christmas day, which may be thought none of the least of the wonders in this island.  First to haue seen the worlds first Christian king. 
That England, and therefore London, may stand for priority of receiving the Christian faith, with any kingdom or country of Europe, take these testimonies with that spoken of before: Claudia Rufina, of whom S. Paul speaketh in his last Chapter to timothy, converted to the Christian faith, was a briton, of whose nuptials with Rufus Peudens that acute 
Martiall lib. 4. ephi. 13  Poet thus begins an Epigram, Claudia Rufe meo nupsit peregrina Pudenti: &c. Dorithaeus Bishop of tyre, saith that Simon zealots came into britain to teach the faith, and that Aristobulus, 
Rom. cap. 16  whom S Paul mentions in his epistle to the Romans, was a Bishop in britain, likewise some 
Niceph. lib. 2. cap. 4  whose authorities are reverenced, do writ that S. Peter came into this island, and that S. Paul 
Theod. de curandis graetorum affectibus lib. 9. Sophronius Patriarch of jerusalem.  came hither after his second imprisonment at Rome. howsoever it is manifest, that Lucius king of the britons( who as Nenius saith, was called lever Maur, that is of great famed for the faith, which began here in his time) was the first Christian Prince in the world, converted to the faith by 
In some Faganus and Duuianus  Fugatius and Damianus, sent hither by Eleutherius Bishop of Rome, whose 
By stow in his Annal.  letter to king Lucius is recorded by our writers, so that if priority of christianity might take place, both our sovereign might challenge that attribute of Christianissimus, and his ambassadors precedence in all assemblies, before any other in Europe.  
" transferred the Pal by help of kingly power,  
From thy great Thames—  
Lucius having received the Christian faith in place of three Arch-Flammins and 28. Flammins, idolatrous sacrificers to the heathen goddes, did institute 3. Archbishops and 28. Bishops one Archbishop at London, the other at york, and the third at Carleon, he founded a Church in cornhill, dedicated to Saint Peter, and in a table there remaining, it is written, that he ordained the same Church to be an Archbishops Sie, and metropolitan of his kingdom, in which 14. Bishops sate successively, whose names are set down by 
In his book of british Bishops as it is in stows Soruay.  Iossaline of Furdes; But in the heptarchy of the Saxons, who from their first entrance into this Ile, had lived Pagans 150. yeares or thereabout, 
Mat. West alias flow. hist.  Augustine the monk being sent hither by Gregory the first for their conversion an. 596. removed the Pal from London to canterbury, under Ethelbert king of Kent, contrary to that which Gregory had commanded, for which cause that ambitious Bishop of London, 
cambden. Trinobam.  Gilbert of Folioth did aspire the primacy of England.  

CANTO. IX.  
The Argument.  
Londons first walls, first use of shot,  
The English long bows long forgot.  
THe 
Agesilalis.  son of stout Archidamus, to one  
That asked, why Sparta being famous grown,  
Had no strong walls to shield it 'gainst the foe,  
The citizens in muster armed did show,  
And said: behold the walls of our defence,  
In whom we Spartans put our confidence;  
Our London, like to Sparta, seems to say,  
She puts no trust in strength of burned day,  
The virtue of the citizens in field,  
Not senseless stones the city safe doth shield;  
Which harboured was in royal Henries thought,  
Who the French Tourwaine and stout Tourney taught,  
With Bullen battered by his cannon shot,  
To know his English yoke, so long forgot,  
For unto Caesar viewing England well,  
And saying, that in all it did excel,  
Except in strength of walls, he did present  
In little space, ere many houres were spent,  
A royal host of force in field to fight  
With the whole world in their dear countries right:  
And unto Caesar wondering at such powers,  
Said, such as these are Englands walls and towers.  
Yet Londons walls of yore were stronger far,  
Then now they be to bear the brunts of war;  
For when like floating Delos on the deep,  

Description of the siege of London by by the Danes. an. 1016.  could Denmarkes winged woods the seas did sweep  
Towards our London, when their sudden sight  
Did put our fishfull Thames to fearful flight,  
Who carried on the wings of his swift tide  
unto his banks, as he along did glide;  
Did sound th'alarum of th'approching Dane,  
And for relief to London came amain;  
Then, as vnnumbred Ants in summer time,  
When danger threatens them, by troops do climb  
Their little mount, and fortify it strong  
On every side, to save their eggs from wrong;  
Londons inhabitants ran all to arms,  
To shield their children, wives, and friends from harms:  
The earth did smoke beneath their moving feet,  
A horrid noise did ring through every street  
Of clattering arms, some men with busy pains  
Athwart the streets did draw the iron chains;  
Some kept the gates, each where our armed powers  
far off appeared vpon thē walls and towers;  
Whence they beholded their foes in brave array,  
As thick as Bees from hive in summers day,  
Descending from their ships to shore, and lead  
By bold Canutus, who with fury fed  
" T'avenge the general slaughter of that night  
Vpon the Dane, did bring them on to fight:  
Their ladders and their engines were applied,  
And the stout foes did scale on every side;  
Then th'english and the Dane met man to man,  
And on the walls a dreadful fight began;  
With loud exclaims in slaughter, blood and dust,  
They fiercely fought, sword against sword was thrust,  
Shield battered shield, face against face was set,  
Earth seemed like heaven to thunder as they met;  
Death hovering here and there on either side,  
Found ghastly wounds gaping like windows wide  
To let him in, here from two bodies slain,  
Th'one English born, the other of some Dane;  
Two streams of blood creeping apart did run,  
As if in hate they did each other shun,  
And would not then in death commixed be,  
That in the life before could not agree;  
The earth did blushy with blood of bodies dead,  
air gron'd with sighs of grudging souls that fled  
Out at their wounds, the foes did fall apace,  
Some scalded from above in woeful case,  
Howling and yelling fled, some from the wall,  
pitched headlong on their friends, unlooked for fall,  
Fortune with victory did London crown,  
And in her scale the Danes hard lot sunk down;  
Who from the walls camest, yet many a day,  
About the same strongly entrenched lay,  
Till valiant edmond with a heart of brass,  
And Iron sides, through warres dread paths did pass,  
And rowzd them thence, giuing them such a blow,  
That Brentford with their blood did overflow;  
But in this age if valiant hearts do fail us,  
What walls although of brass will ought avail us?  
" Since that Promethean monk by wicked wit,  
If not from heaven, yet from th'infernal pit, 
First invention of powder and shot.   
That horrid thunder and swift lightning brought,  
With which in iron pipes shut up, he taught  
The politic Venetian in distress,  
T'oppose their foes, that did their state oppress;  
From whence as if we meant to mock the skies, 
A Description of great ordinance.   
The world that brazen torment did devise,  
Which like a cloud including sulphury stuff,  
Once touched by fire with a violent puff,  
Spits out a lightning from his brazen chaps,  
In rolling smoke and roaring thunderclaps;  
And with it sends on wings of his strong breath,  
A murdering bullet bearing certain death  
To those it 'haps to hit, which as it flies,  
Doth round, round role, roaring above in skies,  
And like Ioues thunder, which it doth resemble,  
Makes earth to quake, and those that hear it tremble;  
O wretched man, since man it was did find  
This ruthlesse murderer of human kind;  
Why did the souls invention, which doth sit,  
As the chief master in the mint of wit,  
work without help of iudgement to foresee,  
How fatal to the world, but most to thee,  
O England it would prove, which at the first  
joined with that fierce debate, which out did burst  
Like to a fire twixt Lancaster and york,  
The fall of thy great famed in France did work,  
" By which great Salisbury, the first of all  
Our English Worthies, woefully did fall,  
And felt those smarting wounds, while he did live,  
Which after unto us the Gun should give:  
For since that time, this torments dreadful sound,  
Hath put to scorn, and in deep silence drowned,  
The wonted terror of our English name,  
Which our death-headed arrows, winged with famed;  
As they did fly from out our English bows;  
Haue whistled through the air to all our foes;  
" The Normans with their long bows victors-like,  

The first use of the long bow.  At battle, where that battle they did strike,  
With Englands Harrold, for this kingdoms crown,  
Did teach us first this lesson of renown,  
Where though the English and their valiant king,  
As much as power of man to pass could bring,  
In fight performed, and offering up their breath,  
Did in the field not shrink one foot from death:  
Yet famous Harrold stricken in the brain  
With fatal shaft, and all his captaines slain,  
The foes through so much blood obtained the fight,  
That heaven hath seldom seen so bloody sight,  
Which as that blazing star before foretold,  
So at this day with wonder we behold  
" The earth there after every little rain  
weep drops of blood for her dear sons their slain,  
But when our English conquered by the bow,  
The perfect use of it did after know,  
As conquest did depend on Archerie,  
They made themselves the heires of victory;  
How oft hath fruitful France half dead with fear  
Losing all courage, hung the head to hear  
The flight of our swift fetherd arrows, tell  
The danger of their fall, before they fell?  
How oft in field, as thunder-strooke looked pale,  
To see them coming like a storm of hail,  
And hear her French air sigh, as it did ache  
With pain of wounds, 
A complain● on the neglect of Archerie.  which Englands shafts did make  
( O famous arms of our great ancestors))  
The onely strength and sinews of their warres,  
How are ye now neglected every where,  
By those whose parents once did hold you dear?  
Where is your art, or whither is it gone,  
As if with us it never had been known?  
Alas how is it, that the wicked moth  
Of idle ease, and ignominious sloth,  
eats up the pinions of the gray-goose wings,  
And frets in twain our shaft far-shooting strings.  
How is it that our London hath laid down  
This worthy practise, which was once the crown  
Of all her pastime, when her Robin Hood  
Had wont each year, when May did clad the wood,  
With lusty green to lead his young men out,  
Whose brave demeanour, oft when they did shoot,  
invited royal Princes from their courts,  
Into the wild woods to behold their sports?  
Who thought it then a manly sight and trim,  
To see a youth of clean compacted limb.  
Who with a comely grace, in his left hand  

〈◇〉 description 〈◇〉 one drawing a bow.  Holding his bow, did take his steadfast stand,  
Setting his left leg somewhat forth before,  
His arrow with his right hand nocking sure,  
Not stooping, nor yet standing streight upright  
Then with his left hand, little' boue his sight,  
Stretching his arm out, with an easy strength  
To draw an arrow of a yard in length:  
Which most praise worthy practise, since decayed  
Londons 
Opheley ●heriffe of London.  Prince Arthur once again assayd  
To set on foot, when many men did show,  
Both strength and skill to draw the strongest bow;  
How in the air, to thunder volleys hot  
From murdering mouths of late invented shot,  
And how to manage strongest staues of Ash,  
Which first the swisser did invent to dash  
The drifts of their proud foes, and break the force  

First invention of Pike.  And violent shock of the steele-barbed horse,  
Since when, some few, whom common good hath taught  
To know the good of exercise, haue sought  
How to renew the same; but all in vain,  
Our greedy great men onely gape for gain,  
Our idle youth misspending time with shane,  
Like boyes with beards, use every idle game,  

The idleness and base ●amess of this ●ge.  And dig our Londons field-paths round about,  
Which children first for pins and points found out.  
O base condition of our present state,  
Where souls of children do inanimate  
Bodies of men, no men, except in name,  
Who like to painted pictures on a frame,  
Somewhat resemble parents that haue ben,  
But want that life which made their fathers men:  
How like weak waters, lying calm and still,  
under the shadow, our long idle ill  
appears in strangers eyes, who every where  
Laugh those to scorn, whom they before did fear:  
( dear England, thou great queen of islands all,  
Whom men the Nurse of arms might whilom call,  
Thou valours whetstone, that hast often set  
An edge on dullest nations, and hast whet  
Cowards with courage, teaching them in field  
To talk of conquest, that before did yield.  
Why now art thou thyself so blunt and dull,  
That others from thy head may seem to pull  
The crown of Mars? the Belgians that haue ben  
Thy pupils once, are now the famous men,  
That great god Neptunes trident sceptre wield,  
braving Romes champion in the open field,  
Vpon whose happy state though peace do smile;  
Yet can it not their diligence beguile,  
Base sloth th'industrious nation cannot wrong,  
Laborious practise makes weak people strong:  
up then for shane in virtue to stand still  
And not go one, hath been esteemed for ill;  
But to decline from good is worse then nought,  
By light of ancient times let us be taught  
Old customs and good orders to renew,  
Which our last Canto shall present to view.    

Illustrations. 
" Yet Londons walls of yore were stronger far,  
Then now they be—   
MY Muse having taken view of the state of this noble city within, and now coming forth to behold her walls without, finds them so decayed from what they haun been, that, as to the people of a little town, that had large gates, that Critticke once said, Take heed( good people) that your town run not out at the gates: so may I say to the inhabitants of London, Take heed( O ye citizens) that your city run not over the walls; I know that though our Ancestors did not rely vpon the guard of our walls, yet they did so trust in thē, that they might be a defence against the sudden incursions of a foreign enemy, or a domestical rebellion: for they knew, that both foreign foes, and the vagabond people of wicked commotions in our own state, did always, and now do with greedy desire affect the spoil of this famous city. 
Simon Du. Polidor. Ver. and onhers.  swain King of denmark father of Canute with an huge host anno. 994. besieged king Ethelred in London, but by the citizens was repulsed with shane; Canute his son anno 1016. inuioroned it with a mighty siege: of many more attempts, both by foreign enemies and rebellious insurrections at home made against it, our histories are full, by which it appears, that the wall at that time, was far more defensible then now it is. A 
Fitzsteph. apud Stow.  writer in the reign of henry the second, saith thus of it. The wall is high and great, well towered on the North side, with due distances between the towers: the Southside was also walled and towered; but the river of Thames, with ebbing and flowing through time hath subverted them. The ditch intended for defence of the city anno. 15. of king John, was made two hundred foot broad; but now wasted with a consumption of incrochment, it is not onely fallen away, but as if grieved at the groaning and sinking of the wall, under the heavy burden of so many buildings, it is in many places run quiter out of sight; but of this I will say little, because little fruit will grow of seed sown in such ground; though it be a crime no less capital then sacrilege to prefer private mens profit before the public safety: and therefore, though of every city, that saying of the Psalmist bee true, yet is it verified of none so much as of London, except the Lord keep the city, the watchman watcheth in vain.  
" T'avenge the general slaughter of that night  
upon the Danes—  
This slaughter of the Danes happened anno 34. of king Ethelred, anno Dom. 1012. at what time the English nation wasted with miserable spoil through their frequent incursions from their first invasions, which was an. 791. were now not onely taxed with that insupportable tribute of ( c) Daneguilt, but their wives and daughters made prostitute to their beastly lust, they themselves became slaves: For the common people, were so oppressed by them, that they styled them in every house, where any of them lodged, Lord Dane, which since their expulsion, is in derision, turned to Lurdane. King Ethelred, to deliver himself and his people from slavery, instigated with hope of help, made by alliance through his marriage with Emma daughter to Richard the first, Duke of normandy privily solicited the English of every house, where any Danes had their abode at a day prefixed, which was Saint Brices day, suddenly to put them to death, which was every where at occasion best fitted, performed, in reuenge whereof, as the Muse telleth you, Canute king of Denmake and swain before him, invading this kingdom, did besiege London, and were with loss and shane repulsed.  Since that Promethean monk by wicked wit. 
As of Prometheus, who did steal fire from heaven to give life to man, so of this monk, the first deviser of powder and shot, it may be said, that he did fetch the same from hell by the labour of his working wit to tak● life from man: it was brought to light, not long before the year 1380 in Germany, by 
Polyd. de Iuent. rer. lib 5. cap. 2.  Constantine Anklitzen a Dutch monk, some say a Franciscan friar, who having powder of Brimstone and other sulphurous matter for physical use in a pot covered with a tile did observe, that a spark of fire by chance falling into it did fire the powder, whose violence blew up the tile, which he did after practise in little iron canes, and taught the use of them to the Venetians, 
Fra. Guicc. hist. lib. 1.  when they in their warres with the Genowayes vanquished by sea, were much afflicted by the loss of Chioze, they were after practised in Italy, then in France, and about six yeares after the first invention seen in England. For when the French king, 
ralph. Holl. in Rich. 2.  Charles the sixth intending the conquest of England anno. 10. of Richard the second had rigged 1287. ships besides the sleete of britain, whose men of war did boast to devour the whole nation, and to sacrifice the blood of the English to the souls of their Elders, amongst other their strange devises for invasion, there was made a wooden enclosure or wall in height twenty foot, in length or compass three thousand paces, at the end of every twelve paces stood a turret higher then the wall ten foot, able to contain ten men, this engine when they were landed in England, should haue enclosed their field being made with joints to take in pieces, but this frame with some quantity of gun-powder and many guns was 
By the Lord Beuchampe captain of Callis  taken at Sea, and brought into England, which the French had no stomach to follow. The first great brass peecees were forged by the Frenchmen, which they used to the terror of all Italy in the reign of henry the seventh, when charles the eight descended to the conquest of Naples; the first great pieces cast in England which were but of iron, were made at Buckestead in Sussex, in the reign of henry 8. anno 1543.  " By which great salisbury the first of all. 
Thomas Montacute earl of salisbury, a 
ralph. Ho● in Hen. 6.  man both in policy and courage liker to the old Romans, then to men of his dayes, at the siege of orleans anno 7. of henry the sixth, as he stood devising in what place he might best assault the town, was slain with the shot of a great piece from the wallet. This man was the first of our famous Captaines that did feel the effect of murdering shot.  " The Normans with their long bows victors-like. 
Some are of opinion, that the English from their original haue been skilful archers, grounding the same vpon those Epithets and adjuncts of shooting, which we meet with in the 
Dyonis. far.  Poets and passages of history, given to our ancestors the Sacans a renowned people of Asia; but others think that the Saxons did neglect, or not all use the bow, until after the Norman invasion: for before that battle fought betwixt Duke William and King Harrold by battle Abbey in Sussex, the Duke using words of encouragement to his Normans,  told them that they were to fight with a people that knew not the use of bows: in that learned foster 
cambden de Normanis  Father of antiquity describing this battle, are these words: Primumque sagittarum grandinem undique emittunt, quod genus pugnae, vt angles nouum, ita omnino terrible erat, &c. That is, first they that is the Normans, did shoot their arrows as thick as hail, which kind of fight, as it was new and strange, so was it terrible to the English. whensoever our nation began to use this kind of artillery, it is manifest, that their knowledge and use of it since the conquest in all their warres hath made them victorious and renowned through the world; the neglect of which in our time, if I should here lament, I should but reiterate the complaint of my Muse. It is said that since the invention of the gun, it is become both unprofitable& unserviceable, of which if I may give my opinion, I think it unprofitable to a captain, though not unserviceable to a soldier, but leaving this to be decided by military men; I will onely note what service it hath done since shot and powder were used: the triumphant victories of henry the fifth, with many overthrows given to our enemies since that time by the onely virtue of our English bows, though long after the invention of shot I omit, and come nearer to our times, when it is certain hand-guns were used. When king henry the eight in person besieged Tourwaine, the army of France intending the rescew thereof, the English 
Edward Hall.  archers were placed by the side of an hedge near a village called Bomie, who when the French battle of horsemen passed by them to relieve the town, did with their shot of arrows so distress and disorder them, that the fear and danger thereof did put them to flight without performing there intended feat. After this, near Carleil by Sandy Sikes, as saith 
In his school of shooting. lib. 1. fol. 29.  Master Roger Ascham, the whole nobility of Scotland( that nation being more resolute in arms then the French before spoken of) as both English and Scottish men, that were present at the battle  told him, were by the power of the English archers overthrown and taken prisoners, and in the same book he saith, that Sir W. Waldgraue, and Sir George somerset, did with fifteen archers at the turn pike beside hams near Callis, turn many French men to flight with their guns, to their great shane& reproach. The opinion of 
Sir John Smithin his orders military. p. 145.  one not meanly reputed in his time for matters military, is, that 1500. archers well instructed, would beate 3000, musketeers reduced into any forms of advantage out of the field: His arguments to confirm the same are too copious to bee here insertd: and therefore I refer you to the author. One reason out of mine own observation, I thus give for archers: when general musters anno 1588. were made through this kingdom against the Spanish invasion, both in that royal army, appointed for the guard of the person of that mirror of Princes queen Elizabeth under the conduct of the Lord Hundson, and in that field at Tilburie, where Sir John Norrice the most famous soldier of his time, and many other Captaines of singular reputation had command, archers, that were before, as it were with scorn by them neglected, were now, when a crown and kingdom was to be decided by the sentence of the sword, approved and admitted.  
The earth still after every little rain  
weep drops of blood.  
In the plain near Hastings, where as I said before, the English and the Normans did ioyn in battle, there is a place, which always after rain looks read, which 
Gulielm● Neubrigen●  some haue attributed to the earth, as still sweeting blood and crying to heaven for reuenge, for so great an effusion of the same: but others and as I think, more truly attribute it, unto the nature of the soil, which his of read day.  

CANTO. X.  
The Argument.  
Our Londons wonted practise showed  
Her marching watch both wishd renewed.  
HAd I the stars of heaven, or all those leaves,  
Of which the wind each year the woods bereaves  
When stripped of from their bows to ground they fall,  
For counters to cast up the sum of all  
The martiall games and exercises done,  
Since Londons state to flourish first begun;  
Yet would they not in my account avail me,  
Time would not serve, and memory would fail me:  
For Londons worthy sons in elder dayes,  
By practise of good things to purchase praise,  
Made Mars his game, not Venus sports their play,  
In vacant hours to pass the time away:  
Some like those Romans, who in sport did make  
A mortal war vpon that mighty lake  
Before great Caesar, on our Thames would fight  
Their naval battailes, to the great delight  
Of all spectators: some again in field  
Would practise feats of arms with lance and shield  
" Who Barons at that time haue styled ben,  
Such was their glory, such their practise then:  
And from our steven to our last Henries dayes,  
What mighty musters and what brave assays  
Of martiall shows, in use to keep our arms  
Hast thou( O London) made against all harms?  
But thou wilt say, that then thy sons t'vphold  
Such customs, freely would impart their gold,  
But in this base age, it is not so,  
For in best actions now the best are slow:  
Though this, too true alas, do helpless keep  
Such actions down, yet from in glorious sleep,  
From out that strumpets sloaths inglorious bed,  
Amongst thy sons lift up the young mans head,  
And council all the graver to extend  
Abounteous hand to every worthy end,  
At which all martiall exercise doth aim,  
Gold is but dross to the states public famed,  
And that we may in calm of peace prepare  
defensive arms, against the storms of war:  
And yet give life to love twixt friend and friend  
Amongst ourselves at home, the onely end,  
For which such actions there beginnings haue,  
The ghosts of our dead fathers from their grave,  
By their late actions seem t'entreat thy state,  
That once again they seek to imitate  
Their ancestors, in kindling those faire lights, 
The vigils of S. Peter and John Baptist.   
Which did illustrate those two famous nights,  
When Mars did seem in triumph down descending,  
To stoop from heaven vpon thee, and commending  
Thy then triumphant March and martiall sport,  
decked in his richest coat of steel, 
A description of Midsom. mer watch.  did court  
Peace in thy streets, conducting through the same  
A warlike troope, that by that yearly game,  
The noise of arms made common to thy ears,  
Might at no time disturb thee with vain fears;  
When drums and trumpets sounds, which do delight  
A cheerful heart, waking the drowsy night,  
Did fright the wandring moon, who from her sphere  
Beholding earth beneath looked pale with fear,  
To see the air appearing all on flamme,  
Kindled by thy bon-fires, and from the same  
A thousand sparks dispersed throughout the sky,  
Which like to wandring stars about did fly;  
Whose wholesome heat purging the air, consumes  
The earths unwholesome vapours, fogs, and fumes;  
The wakeful shepherd by his flock in field,  
With wonder at that time far of beholded,  
The wanton shine of thy triumphant fiers,  
Playing vpon the tops of thy tall spiers  
Thy goodly buildings, that till then did hid  
Their rich array; opened their windows wide,  
" Where kings great peers and many a noble dame,  
Whose bright pearle-glittering robes did mock the flamme  
Of the nights burning lights, did sit to see  
How every Senator in his degree,  
adorned with shining gold and purple weeds,  
And stately mounted on rich-trapped steeds,  
Their guard attending through the streets did ride  
Before their foot-bands, graced with glittering pride  
Of rich guilt arms, whose glory did present  
A sunshine to the eye, as if it ment  
Amongst the cresset lights shot up on high,  
To chase dark night for ever from the sky:  
While in the streets the Stickelers to and fro,  
To keep Decorum still did come and go;  
Where tables set were plentifully spread,  
And at each door neighbour with neighbour fed,  
Where modest mirth attendant at the feast  
With plenty gave content to every guest,  
Where true goodwill crowned cups with fruitful wine,  
And neighbors in true love did fast combine,  
Where the laws pickepurse, strife twixt friend& friend  
By reconcilement happily took end:  
A happy time, when men knew how to use  
The gifts of happy peace, yet not abuse  
Their quiet rest with rust of ease, so far  
As to forget all discipline of war,  
Who oft hath heard wars thunder, seldom fears it,  
When it affrights his heart, that seldom hears it;  
For of those troops, how many a mothers son,  
Whose cares of late could scarce abide the gun,  
●●●ind up to hand it, now begin to know  
The postures of the piece, which they did show  
To many thousand eyes vpon that day,  
" when London twice ten ensigns did display, 
The muster on the 8. of August.   
Beneath whose colours in her streets dispread,  
And by the conduct of her own sons lead,  
Those foot-bands which twice thirteen 
Wards.  tribes did yield  
decked in bright arms did march into the field,  
Where either side the other did oppose,  
Troope charging troope, like true friends turned foes,  
Wanting but order in that feigned sight,  
Through want of space to do the war-god right:  
For many thousand old and young did range  
The field from troope to troope, and which is strange,  
Thousands of our Viragoes stoutley stood  
amid the ranks, as if through wounds and blood  
In the plain field, they had conspired then  
bravely to win the breeches from the men;  
When many scared spectators fast did fly,  
Who falling each on others necks did lye.  
Like dying people, groveling on the ground,  
As if the shot had given them deaths wound;  
While the strong pikes shaking with eagar ire,  
For that they could not come to their desire,  
Did threaten them far of, and wings of shot,  
drawn out on either side did play so hot.  
That men did loose themselves, groping for light  
In clouds of smoke, as in the midst of night,  
Whose thunder Eastward through the air mad room  
To ears of men, as far as Harrolds 
Waltham Abbey where Harrold was interred.  tomb.  
And when 
The late muster the 27. of Sept.  that Diamond spark of royalty,  
That bud of hope, Prince of great Brittannie,  
Like the young Macedonian Monarch mounted  
On his Bucephalus, from far recounted  
The ensigns of each troope, before his eyes  
The souldiers steele-topt pikes advanced did rise  
Like to a corn field waving up and down,  
And plumes of various colours, which did crown  
The souldiers heads beneath the pikes, did show  
Like coloured flowers, which in the corn do grow,  
The splendour of guilt arms refulgent light,  
danced in the Sun before his royal sight,  
As if their glittering gave a shine more clear,  
And the read streaming crosses did appear  
Through the dark smoke of gun-shot thundering loud,  
Like bloody Comets through a sable cloud:  
But when Mars-like in field approaching nigh  
With martiall staff vpon his Princely thigh,  
Attended with a noble troope he came  
unto the 
Sir Thomas hays then Lord Maior.  Consuls tent, the loud exclaim  
And cheerful shouts, which souldiers throats did yield  
For ioy to see their Soueraigns son in field:  
With louder thunder of thick volleys given,  
Did echo his true welcome up to heaven:  
Before his sight, as every several band  
Did march fast by the tent where he did stand,  
The Captaines shining in rich gold, did show  
compared to'th souldiers, as the planets do  
To lesser stars, the men in muster took,  
For limbs composture and for manly look,  
For furniture, for arms and rich array,  
From other countries bore the praise away:  
For what stern eye of envy, that beholded  
Their martiall order at that time in field,  
If equal truth might guide it, could in them,  
Ought but the want of discipline condemn;  
To which defect, since time, true ingeny  
And practise yield the onely remedy:  
O that god Mars more oft might sing his ditty,  
In the soft ears of this our peaceful city,  
And that the greedy gripe, that grasps his purse  
Fast in his fist, and grudges to disburse  
His coin to such good use, would learn to know  
That 
nile Spartā perdat nisi cara pecunia facta.  Oracle, which in times past did show,  
That nothing could the Spartan state disjoin,  
Except they made too much account of coin;  
And that our eldest sons of idle ease,  
Whom nothing but the Taylors cut can please,  
Would turn superfluous rags of wretched pride,  
To plates of steel, lay oftentimes aside  
Their slender switches for strong staues of Ash,  
And change perfumes for sulphury powders flash:  
But unto such I wish this good in vain,  
As I began, so must I end again,  
With Londons Mars-adornd artillery,  
Her onely Nurse of arms young infantry,  
Bellonas spring where streams of knowledge floe,  
Garden of Mars where plants of valour grow,  
( thrice worthy spirits) ever may you live,  
In fames faire book, whose industry doth give,  
Life to the love of arms, who both with pain  
And large expense, the school of Mars maintain,  
And since the fire of your forward harts  
To all good actions both in arms and arts,  
warms the could hopes of London, to renew  
Her ancient orders, chiefly unto you  
I by this pen-man do commend this story,  
As the true mirror of our Londons glory.  
This said, the helme-deckt goddesse took her rise  
Vpon her spear, and vanished from our eyes,  
leaving the soldier and myself aghast;  
For he, who selfe-loue-swolne sought to blast  
Our Londons famed, with envious breath before,  
Did ever since her noble name adore;  
And by Minerua, as I was foretaught,  
Lest her swift vision flying from my thought,  
I should at last haue lost what I did think,  
I thus did limb the Visions wings with ink.    

Illustrations." Who barons at that time haue styled been.  
THe youth of this city in times past despising such effeminate games as we now use, which rather induce both body and mind to 'vice then to virtue, did 
Fitz. Step. and situ& no●ltate land.  every Friday in Lent practise feats of arms on horseback with disarmed launces and shields, and did also sight battailes on the water, thereby showing, how serviceable they would be in martiall affairs; this was their practise in the reign of henry the second, many of them being called Barons, for after anno 37. of henry the third, I read 
Out of Ra. Holl. in Hen. ●.  that certain of the court coming with a humour of contempt and scorn to behold their exercise,& giuing reproachful words to those Londoners, which were there called Barons, did suffer for their derision such stripes and wounds, that the king caused the citizens to pay 1000. marks for the healing.  " Which did illustrate those two famous nights. 
Meaning the vigels of Saint John Baptist and Saint Peter, when that famous marching watch consisting of 2000. besides the standing watches, were maintained in this city. It continued from the reign of henry the 3● until the reign an. 31 of henry the eight, in which year it was laid down by licence from the king, for that the cittte had then been charged with the weak of a muster of fifteen thousand men, neither was it revived again, until anno 2. of Edward the sixth, by Sir John Gresham then Lord Maior, since whose time the like watch in London hath not been seen; I will not here dispute the conveniency thereof, onely note the words of a certain book dedicatdd by a 
John Mountgomer.  citizen anno 1585. to Sir Thomas Pullison, then Lord Maior and the Aldermen, the words are these, Artificers of diuers sorts were thereby well set to work, none but rich men charged, poor men relieved, old souldiers, wherein the safety and defence of every commonwealth consisteth, maintained, armor and weapons through this occasion ready prepared whereas by intermission armorours want work, souldiers out of practise, weapons overgrown with rust, few or none good being provided, &c. and so goes on with an exhortation to revive tht same: but as this, so the like good orders are vanished and the fruit of sloth and covetousness grown up, though some haue sought to restore the customs of our country, amongst whom I may not forget the good endeavour of that worthy Gentleman, Master Hugh Ophley sheriff of London, who did devise the martiall show of Prince Arthur, onely to give life to decayed Archerie the good endeavour of whom and of all those that now or hereafter shall imitate the like attempt, cannot want a praiseworthy remembrance with posterity.  Where kings, great peers, and many noble dame. 
King henry the eight approving this marching watch, as an ancient commendable custom of this city, lest it should decay through neglect or covetousness, in the first year of his reign, came privately disguised in one of his guards coats into cheap on midsummer even, and seeing the same at that time performed to his content to countenance it, and make it more glorious by the presence of his person, 
ralph. Hol. in Hen. 8.  came after on S. Peters even with queen Katherine attended by a noble train, riding in royal state to the Kings head in Cheap●e, there to behold the same, and after anno. 15. of his reign Christerne king of denmark with his queen being then in England, was conducted through the city to the kings head in cheap, there to see the same.  When London twice ten ensigns did dispreade 
Both the late Muster of Wednesday, the 27. of September and that before, on tuesday, the eight of August anno 1615. my Muse hath briefly noted, whose souldiers for their arms and furniture, both for service and show, were well and rightly appointed, imitating the old Romans, in their garnish of feathers, which, as it is a sight 
Nich. Mac. in his art of war. lib. 2. fol. 21.  brave and terrible to the enemy, so is it goodly and delightful to friends: In their demeanour I noted these two defects, ignorance of order, and neglect of their Captaines command, the knowledge of the first cannot bee had without time and practise, nor respect of the last( except in the more ingenuous man) without more authority to enforce it: so that as 
Fran. Guic. hist. lib. 2.  Maximilian the Emperour being with king henry 8. at the siege of Tourwaine( where wearing S. Georges cross, he received salaire for service as the king of Englands soldier) gave his iudgement vpon trial, that in matters of war the English were then more resolute, then well advised: and less subtle and politic, then well disciplined and trained, so may it be here said of the late Muster, with which I conclude, that they were more rash and turbulent, then discreet and well advised,& less instructed& trained then will furnished and appointed.   
FINIS.