O

THE KINGES WELCOME."

NOWE or never gentle muse be gaye,

And mount vp higher on thy paper winges, Then doth the larke when he salutes the daye, And to the morne a merrie welcome singes.

Fly swifter then the egle sent by art
From Noremberg, to the Almaine emperour:
A hand lesse cuning, but as true a hart
Sends thee to a prince of greater worth and power.

Rencounter him thowe shalt vpon the waye,
like Phebus midst of all his golden trayne;
And knowe him too thou shalt at first suruaye
By proper notes and by distinctions plaine.

By his faire outward formes and princely port, by honours done to him with capp and knee; He is decyphred by the vulgar sorte,

but truer caracters will rise to the[e].

7 From the autograph MS. in All Souls' College, Oxford, MS. 155. W. W. 11, 26, fol. 72, a and 7. The contractions of the MS. have been expanded,, but u and v are reproduced. This full holo

Thy sight had once an influence devine.
which gave it power the soule of man to viewe;
wipe and make cleane that dazeled eye of thine,
and thowe shall see his reall markes and true.

Looke ouer all that divers troope, and finde whoe hath his spirites most Jouiall and free, whose bodie is best tempred, and whose minde Is ever best in tune, and that is hee.

See who it is whose actions doe bewraye
that threefold power, which rarely mixt we see ;
A iudgment graue, and yet a fancie gaye,
Joynd with a ritch remembrance, that is hee.

Marke who it is, that hath all noble skill,
which maye to publique good referrèd bee;
the quickest witt, and best affected will,
whence flowes a streame of vertues, that is hee

graph of 'The Kinge's Welcome,' while it supersedes the short and imperfect copy from Dr. Laing's MS.-as first printed in our F. W. L. edition confirms the authorship thereof. The abbreviated copy is also given after this one, as it is expedient to reproduce the MS. in its integrity. G.

If any more then other clearely wise

or wisely iust or iustly valiant be;

If any doe fainte pleasures more despise,

or be more maister of himselfe, 'tis hee

But soft, thie Egletes eye will soone be dym
If thou this rising sunne directly viewe;

looke syde waies on the beames that spread from him ;

faire peace, rich plentie, and religion true

Besides a guard of blessed angells houer
about his sacred person, day and night;
and with invisible winges his head doe cover,
that dangers dartes thereon may never light

when by these proper notes thowe shalt him ken, fly towardes him with winges of love and feare; like fire which most doth wane and tremble then when it doth mount most high and burne most cleare.

Yet on; for wingèd time with the[e] goes on, which like old Æ'son hath his youth renewd; his hower glase turnèd and his sickle gone, and all his graye and broken fethers mewd.

On, for the braue yong sonn aboue his head Comes Northward, that he may his glorie meete; whilest the fresh earth in all her pride doth spread greene veluit carpettes vnderneath his feete.

On, for thee birds will help to fill thie songe, whereto all english harte stringes doe agree; And the Irish harpe stringes, that did iarre soe long to make the musicke full, nowe tunèd be.

There is noe eye cast downe, there is noe voice that to pronounce the harte assent, is dombe; the world of thinges doth everie where reioyce, in certaine hope of blessed times to come

Thousandes while they possesse and fill the waies
doth both desire, and hinder his repaire;
they fill the emptie heaven with praier and praise,
which he requites with demonstrations faire.

Then what hast thowe to doe, and what remaines ?
praie as the people doth, and add but this
This little wish; that whiles he lives and raignes,

he maye be still the same, that nowe he is.

John Dauis.

TO THE KINGE

UPON HIS MA'TIES FIRST COMMING INTO ENGLAND.

O now or neuer, gentle Muse, be gaye :

And mount up higher with thy paper winges,
Than doth the larke when hee sallutes the daye,
And to the morne a merry wellcome singes.

Thou must goe meete King James, upon the way
Advanceing Southward, with his golden trayne ;
And know him too thou maist at first survaye,
by proper noates and by distinctions plaine.

By his faire outward formes, and princely port,
By honour done to him with cap and knee,
Hee is distinguist to the vulgar sort:

but truer characters will rise to thee.

Thy sight had once an influence divine,
Which gaue it power the Soule of man to vew :
Wipe and make cleare that dazled eye of thine,

and thou shalt see his reall markes and true.