The goodliest Pearle in faire Eliza’s Chaine;

Is true Religion, which did chiefly gaine

A Royall Lustre to the rest, and ti’de

The Hearts of all to her when Mary di’de.

And though Shee found the Realme infected much

With Superstition, and Abuses, such

As (in all humane Judgement) could not be

Reform’d without domesticke Mutiny,

And great Hostility from Spaine and France;

Yet shee undaunted, bravely did advance

Christs Glorious Ensigne, maugre all the Feares

Or Dangers which appear’d: and for ten yeares

B Shee B1v 2

Shee swaid the Scepter with a Ladies hand,

Not urging any Romist in the Land,

By sharpe Edicts the Temple to frequent,

Or to partake the holy Sacrament.

But factious Romanists not thus content,

Their Agents to their holy Father sent,

Desiring him., by sollemne Bull, proclaime

Elizabeth an Heretike, and name

Some other Soveraigne, which might erect

Their masking Masse, and hence forthwith eject

The Evangelicall Profession,

Which flourisht under her Protection.

The Pope to this Petition condescends,

And soone his Leaden Bull to England sends,

Which by one Felton, on the Bishops Gate

Of London was affixed; But the state

For that high Treason punisht him with death,

That would dethrone his Queene, Elizabeth.

Yet was this Ball of Wild-fire working still,

In many Romanists which had a will,

The present State and Governement to change;

That they in all Idolatrie might range.

And hence it came that Great Northumberland,

Associate with Earle of Westmerland,

And many moe, their Banners did display

In open Field; hoping to win the Day.

Against these Rebells, Noble Sussex went;

And soone their bloudy Purpose did prevent.

Westmerland fled, Northumberland did die,

For that foule Crime, and deepe disloyalty;

Having engaged Thousands in that Cause.

After which time, the Queene made stricter Lawes.

Against B2r 3

Against Recusants; and with Lyons heart,

Shee bang’d the Pope, and tooke the Gospells part.

The Pope perceiving that his Bull was baited

In such rude sort, and all his hopes defeated:

Cries out to Spaine for helpe; who takes occasion

Thereby t’ attempt the Conquest of this Nation.

But such Sage Counsellers Eliza had;

As, though both SpaineOpen note 1Back to note ¹ and Rome were almost mad

For griefe and anger, yet they still did faile,

And against England never could prevaile.

The next faire Pearle that comes in order here,

Is Chastity, wherein shee had no peere.

’Mongst all the Noble Princesses which then

In Europe were the Royall Anadem.

And though for Beauty shee an Angell was,

And all our Sex did therein farre surpasse;

Yet did her pure unspotted Chastitie

Her heavenly Beautie rarely beautifie.

How many Kings and Princes did aspire,

To win her Love? In whom that Vestall Fire

Still flaming, never would Shee condescend

To Hymen’s Rihtes, though much Shee did commend,

That brave French Monsieur who did hope to carry

The Golden fleece, and faire Eliza marry.

Yea Spanish Philip, Husband to her Sister,

Was her first Sutor, and the first that mist her:

And though he promis’d that the Pope by Bull

Should license it, shee held it but a Gull

For how can PopeOpen note 2Back to note ² with Gods owne Law dispence?

B2 Was B2v 4

Was it not time such Popes to cudgell hence?

Thus Her impregnable Virginity,

Throughout the World Her Fame did dignify.

And this may be a Document to all,

The Pearle of Chastity not to let fall:

Into the filthy durt of foule Desires,

Which Satan kindles with his Hell-bred fires:

For whether it be termed Virginall

In Virgins, or in Wives stil’d Conjugall,

Or Viduall in Widdowes, God respects

All equally, and all alike affects.

And here I may not silent overpasse

That Noble Lady of the Court, which was

Sollicited Taxis that great Don

Embassador for Spaine (when shee, was gone)Open note 3Back to note ³

Who to obtaine his will, gave her a Chaine

Of most rare Orient Pearle, hoping to gaineOpen note 4Back to note ⁴

That Worthy Lady to his Lust; But Shee

That well perceiv’d his Spanish Policy,

His faire Chaine kept, but his foule Offer scorn’d,

That sought (thereby) her Husband to have horn’d:

Taxis repulst, sent to Her for his Chaine,

But (as a Trophie) Shee did it retaine;

Which Noble President may all excite,

To keepe this Pearle, which is so Orient bright.

Her Royall Clemency comes next in view,

The Vertue which in her did most renew

The Image of Her Maker, who in that

Exceeds himselfe, and doth commiserate

His very Rebells, lending them the light

Of Sunne and Moone, and all those Diamonds bright.

So did Eliza cast Her Golden RayesOpen note 8Back to note ⁸

Of Clemency, on those which many wayes

Transgrest Her Lawes, and sought to undermine

The Church and State, and did with Spaine combine.

And though by Rigor of the Law Shee might

Not wronging them, have taken all Her right

Yet Her Innate and princely Clemencie

Mov’d Her to pardon their Delinquencie,

Which sought Her Gracious Mercy, and repented

Their Misdemeanors, and their Crimes lamented.

So doth the the Kingly Lyon with his foe,

Which once prostrate, he scornes to worke his woe,

So did this Vertues sacred Auri-flame,

Immortalize our Great Eliza’s Name.

Her Justice next appeares, which did support

Her Crowne, and was her Kingdomes strongest
Fort.

For should not Lawes be executed well,

And Malefactors curb’d, a very Hell

Of all Confuson and disorder would

Among all States ensue. Here to unfold

The exemplary Penalties of those,

Which to the Realme were knowne, and mortall Foes:

And as some putrid members par’d away,

Least their transcendent Villany should sway

Others to like Disloyalty; would aske

A larger Volume, and would be a Taske

Unfit for Feminine hands, which rather love

To write of pleasing subjects, then approve

The most deserved slaughtering of any;

Which justly cannot argue Tyranny.

For though the Pope have lately sent from Rome,

Strange Bookes and pictures painting out the Doome

Of his pretended Martyrs: as that they

Were baited in Beares skins, and made a prey

To wilde Beasts, and had Bootes with boiling Lead

Drawne on their Legges, and Hornes nail’d to their
head;

Yet all our British world knowes these are fables,

Chimæra’s, Phantasm’s, Dreames, and very Bables

For Fooles to play with: and right Goblin-Sprights,

Wherewith our Nurses oft their Babes affrights.

His Holinesse these Martyrdomes may adde

To the Golden Legend; for they are as madde,

That C1r 9

That first invented them, as Open note 9Back to note ⁹ he that write

That branelesse Booke: and yet some credit it.

For Cruelty and fond Credulity,

Are the maine Pillers of Romes Hierarchy.

This goodly Pearle, is that rare Fortitude,

Wherewith this Sacred Princesse was endu’d.

Witnesse Her brave undaunted Looke, when Parry

Was fully bent shee should by him miscarry:

The Wretch confest, that Her Great Majestie

With strange amazement did him terrifie.

So Heavenly-Gracefull, and so full of Awe,

Was that Majesticke Queene, which when some saw,

They thought an Angell did appeare: shee shon

So bright, as None else could Her Paragon.

But that which doth beyond all Admiration

Illustrate Her, and in Her, this whole Nation;

Is that Heroicke March of Her’s and Speech

At Tilbury, where Shee did All beseech

Bravely to fightforfight for England, telling them

That what their Fortune was, should Hers be then.

And that with full Resolve Shee thither came,

Ready to win, or quite to loose the Game.

Which words deliver’d in most Princely sort,

Did animate the Army, and report

To all the World Her Magnanimity,

Whose haughtie Courage nought could terrify.

Well did Shee shew, Great Henry was Her Sire,

Whom Europe did for Valor most admire,

C ’Mongst C1v 10

’Mongst all the Warlike Princes which were then

Enthronized with Regall Diadem.

Among the Vertues Intellectuall,

The Van is lead by that we Science call;

A Pearle more precious then th’ Ægyptian Queene,

Quaft off to Anthony; of more Esteeme

Then Indian Gold, or most resplendent Gemmes,

Which ravish us with their translucent Beames.

How many Arts and Sciences did decke

This Heroina? Who still had at becke

The Muses and the Graces, when that Shee

Gave Audience in State and Majestie:

Then did the Goddesse Eloquence inspire

Her Royall Brest: Apollo with his Lyre,

Ne’re made such Musicke; On her Sacred Lips

Angells enthron’d, most Heavenly Manna sips.

Then might you see her Nectar-flowing Veine

Surround the Hearers; in which sugred Streame,

Shee able was to drowne a World of men,

And drown’d, with Sweetnes to revive agen.

Alasco, the Embassador Polonian,

Who perorated like a meere Slavonian,

And in rude rambling Rhetoricke did roule,

Shee did with Atticke Eloquence controule

Her Speeches to our Academians,

Well shew’d Shee knew among Athenians,

How to deliver such well-tuned Words,

As with such Places punctually accords.

But with what Oratory-ravishments,

Did C2r 11

Did Shee imparadise Her Parliaments?

Her last most Princely Speech doth verify,

How highly Shee did England dignify.

Her Loyall Commons how did Shee embrace,

And entertaine with a most Royall Grace?

Now come we Her rare Patience to display;

Which, as with purest Gold, did pave her way

To Englands Crowne; for when her Sister rul’d,

Shee was with many great Afflictions schoold:

Yet all the while Her Mot, was Tanquam Ovis,

Nor could her Enemies prove ought amisse

In Her, although they thirsted for her bloud,

Reputing it once shed, their Soveraigne good.

Sometime, in Prison this sweete Saint was pent,

Then hastily away Shee thence was sent

To Places more remote; and all her Friends

Debar’d accesse; and none but such attends,

As ready were with poison, or with knife,

To Sacrifice this Sacred Princesse life,

At bloudy Bonners becke, or Gardiners nod;

Had they not bin prevented by that God

Who did Susanna from the Elders free,

And at the last, gave her, her Liberty.

Thus by her patient bearing of the Crosse,

Shee reaped greatest Gaine from greatest Losse,

(For he that looseth his blest Liberty,

Hath found a very Hell of misery:)

By many Crosses thus Shee got the Crowne;

To Englands Glory, and her great Renowne.

As Rose and Lillie challenge cheefest place,

For milke-white Lustre, and for Purple Grace:

So Englands Rose and Lillie, had no Peere,

For Princely Bounty shining every-where.

This made her Fame with Golden Wings to fly

About the World, above the Starry Sky.

Witnesse France, Portugall, Virginia,

Germany, Scotland, Ireland, Belgia;

Whose Provinces and Princes found her Aid

On all Occasions; which sore dismaid

Spaines King whose European Monarchy,

Could never thrive during her Soveraignty;

So did Shee beate him with her Distaffe, so

By Open note 10Back to note ¹⁰ Sea and Land Shee him did overthrow;

Yea, so that Tyrant on his knees Shee brought,

That of brave England Peace he beg’d, and thought

Himselfe most happie, that by begging so

Preserv’d all Spaine from Beggery and Woe.

Here all amaz’d my Muse sets up her rest,

Adoring her was so Divinely blest.