Classic Poem

TRUTH S PEAKES of old, the Power of Poesie;
Amphion, Orpheus, Stones, and Trees, could move;
Men first by verse, were taught Civilitie;
Tis knowne, and granted; yet would it behove
Mee, with the Ancient Singers, here to Crowne
Some later Quills, Some Makers of our owne.

Who has not heard, Maeonides loud Straine?
Macedons Envie? who did never yet
(That has of Numbers heard; but) heare againe
The Ascrean Pipe? or great Musaeus witt?
Who has not heard of Heroes, Demigods?
Of Centaur's? Cyclop's? Sacred Founts, and woods?

See antique Rome; and though, you see her plaine
In honest Ennius; can you but admire
Pious Æneas? or the Mantuan
As Sweet in feilds, as statelie in Troies fire?
Not Euxine Pontus, nor the Tirants Lust
Shall make Fame be less glorious, Fate, lesse Just;

For after Death, dyes Envye; all men find
Honour, due to their merits; this, he taught;
And this, he found. Live Ovid (unconfin'd)
To better mention; beyond a Thought
Of o cur vidi; never more exclaime:
Hee wrong'd his owne, and added to thy Name.

Loe yet another; he who has not heard
Pharsalia's Trumpet, never knew his Fate;
Cordubaes Glorie; see the Poet smear'd
In guiltles Blood, triumph in Neroes hate.
His Name shall live; and he, that cannot raise
A verse to Lucan, dye without his praise.

A noble Store, doth Italie produce,
Which hap'lie may advance, their fame as great;
Danazar, Petrarch, Tassoes honored Muse;
Swift Arne, the Thuscan Soile, noe more shall beat,
Nor Swan-clad Po run Sweet, nor fame be Just
If Dant forgotten be, or Ariost':

Nor shall the Muse, of that French Eagle dye,
Devine Sire Bartas; and the happie writt
Of Bellay, here shall live eternallie,
Eternizing his Name, in his owne Witt.
From hence, by a Short passage, wee are come
To veiw the Treasure, of our witts at home.

I am not bound to honour Antique names;
Nor am I led, by other Men, to Chuse
Any thing worthy, which my judgment blames.
Heare better Straines, though by a later Muse:
The Sweet Arcadian Singer, first did raise
Our Language Current, and deserved his Baies;

That Lord of Pen'herst; Pen'herst whose sad walls
Yet mourne their Master, in the Belgicke fray
Untimelie lost; to whose deare Funeralls
The Medwaie doth its constant Tribute paye;
But glorious Pen'herst, Medwaies waters once
With Mincius shall, and Mergeline advance.

The Shepherds Boy; best knowen by that Name
Colin; upon his homely oaten Reed
With Roman Titirus may share in Fame;
But when a higher path, hee seem's to tread,
He is my wonder; for who yet has seene
Soe Cleare a Poeme, as his Faierie Queene?

The Sweetest Swan of Avon; to the faire
And Cruel Delia, passionatelie Sings;
Other mens weaknesses, and follies, are
Honour and witt in him; each Accent brings
A Sprig to Crowne him Poet; and Contrive
A Monument, in his owne worke to live.

Draiton is sweet, and Smooth; though not exact
Perhaps, to stricter Eyes; yet he shall live
Beyond their Malice. To the Sceane and Act,
Read Comicke Shakespeare; or if you would give
Praise, to a Just Desert, crowning the Stage,
See Beaumont, once the honour of his Age.

The reverent Donne, whose quill soe purely fil'd,
Lives to his Character; & though he claime
A greater glory, may not be exil'd
This Commonwealth; the entrance of his fame
Thus as the Sun, to either Hemisphere
Still the same Light; Hee moved with us here.

But as a Poet; all the softnesses,
The Shadow, Light, the Ayre, & Life of Love;
The Sharpnes of all Witt; ev'n bitternes
Makes Satire Sweet; all wit did soe emprove.
'Twas flamed in him, 'Twas but warm upon
His Embers; He was more; & yet is Donne.

Here pause a little; for I would not Cloy
The curious Eare, with recitations;
And meerly looke at names; attend with Joy
Unto an English Quill, who rivall'd once
Rome, not to make her blush; and knowne of late
Unenvied ('cause unequall'd) Laureate.

This, this was Jonson; who in his owne name
Carries his praise; and may he shine alone;
I am not tyed, to any generall Fame,
Nor fixed by the Approbation
Of great ones; But I Speake without pretence;
Hee was, of English Dramatickes, the Prince.

Be glad, illiterate English, that ye may
Heare Lucan, in your best of Language speake;
Lucan, the mouth of Story; Sung by Maye,
To yet his owne; his owne, soe truly like
The Roman Genius, as yow cannot say,
This was by Lucan done, or yet by Maye.

Let Naso sing his best; and once lament
That best, did want his last life-giving hand;
His works, our Sands; though not in banishment
A Stranger, in a wild & remote Land,
Has polisht out, & imp's his wing, to flye
Beyond Rome's Eagles, & her Emperye.

Now leaves he there; but as he had Disdaignd
Her witt, or Empire, confind to his reach;
The holy Ground he treads; which though they gaind,
They never got; he did; & now doth teach
To us dull Ilanders; the inspired Layes
Which David sung; & which the Preacher sayes.

The noble Overburies Quill, has left
A better wife, then he could ever find;
I will not search too deep, lest I should lift
Dust from the dead; Strange power of womankind,
To raise and ruine; for all he will claime,
Is from that Sex; his Birth, his Death, His Fame.

But I spin out to long; let me draw up
My thred, to honour Names of my owne time
Without their Eulogies, for it may Stop
With Circumstantiall Termes, a wearie Rhime;
Suffice it if I name em; that for me
Shall stand, not to refuse their Eulogie;

The noble Falkland, Digbie, Carew, Maine,
Beaumond, Sand's, Randolph, Allen, Rutter, May,
The Devine Herbert, and the Fletchers twaine,
Habinton, Shirley, Stapilton; I Stay
Too much on names; yet may I not forget
Davenant, and Suckling, eminent in witt.

Waller not wants the glory of his verse;
And meets a noble praise, in every Line;
What should I adde in honour? to reherse
Admired Cleaveland? by a verse of mine?
Or give the glorious Muse of Denham praise?
Soe with'ring Brambles stand, to liveing Bayes.

These may suffice; not only to advance
Our English honour, but for ever crowne
Poesie, 'bove the reach of Ignorance.
Only dull fooles unmoved, admire their owne
Stupiditie; and all beyond their Sphere
Is Madnes, and but tingling in the Eare.

Great Flame Whose raies at once, have power to peirce
The frosted Skull of Ignorance, and Close
The mouth of Envie; if I bring a verse
Unapt to move; my admiration Flowes
With humble Love, and Zeale in the intent
To a Cleare Rapture, from the Argument.