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| THIS 1 vniverse, with all therein conteined, | |
| Was not at first of water fashioned, | |
| Nor of the fire, as others oft haue feyned, | |
| Nor of the ayre, as some have vainly spred, | |
| Nor the foure elements in order train’d, | 5 |
| Nor of vacuitie and atoms bred; | |
| Nor hath it been eternall, as is thought | |
| By naturall men, that haue no further sought. | |
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| Neither hath man in perpetuity bin, | |
| And shall on earth eternally perseuer | 10 |
| By endlesse generation, running in | |
| One circuit, in corruption lasting euer: | |
| Nor did that nation first on earth begin | |
| Vnder the mid equator: some indeauour | |
| So to perswade, that man was first begunne | 15 |
| In the place next to the life-giuing sunne. | |
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| Neither was he of earth and water framed, | |
| Tempered with liuely heat, as others write; | |
| Nor were we in a former world first named, | |
| As in their curious problems some recite. | 20 |
| Others, more ripe in iudgement, haue proclaimed | |
| Man fram’d of clay, in fashion exquisite, | |
| In whom were breathed sparkes of celestiall fire, | |
| Whence he still keepes his nature, to aspire. | |
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| But this most glorious vniuerse was made | 25 |
| Of nothing,—by the great Creator’s will: | |
| The ocean bounded in, not to inuade | |
| Or swallow vp the land; so resteth still | |
| The azure firmament, to ouershade | |
| Both continent and waters, which fulfill | 30 |
| The Maker’s word: one God doth sole extend, | |
| Without beginning, and shall see no end. | |
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| That powerfull Trinity created man, | |
| Adam, of earth, in the faire field Damaske; | |
| And of his rib he Euah formed than, | 35 |
| Supplying them with all things they can aske. | |
| In these first two humanity began, | |
| In whom confined Jehovah’s six daies’ taske. | |
| From Adam, then, and Euah’s first creation, | |
| It follows we deriue our British nation. | 40 |
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| Inspire me in this task, Ihoue’s seede, I pray; | |
| With Hippocrenes’ drops besprinke my head, | |
| To comfort me vpon this tedious way, | |
| And quicken my cold braine, nigh dull and dead; | |
| Direct my wandering spirits when they stray, | 45 |
| Least foreen and forbidden paths they tread: | |
| My iourney’s tedious, blame not then my feares; | |
| My voyage dymes at many thousand yeares. | |
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| Oh, giue me leaue from the world’s first creation | |
| The ancient names of Britons to deriue, | 50 |
| From Adam to the world’s first invndation, | |
| And so from Noah to us that yet suruiue; | |
| And hauing of Troye’s worthies made relation, | |
| Your spurs the chariot of my Muse must driue | |
| Through all past ages and precedent times, | 55 |
| To fill this new world with my worthless rymes. | |
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| Oh, may these artlesse numbers in your eares, | |
| Renowmed James, seem musically strung,— | |
| Your fame, oh Ioue’s-star’d Prince, spread euerywhere, | |
| First giue my still and speechlesse Muse a tung; | 60 |
| From your maiestike vertues, prised deare, | |
| The infant life of these harsh meeters sprung. | |
| Oh take not then their industrie in skorne, | |
| Who, but to emblaze you, had yet been vnborne. | |
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| Nor let your princely peeres cold in disdaine | 65 |
| To haue their auncestry stilde and inrolde | |
| In this poore register: a higher straine | |
| Their merits aske, since brazen leaues vnfold | |
| Their neuer-dying fame; yet thus much daine, | |
| Not to despise to heare your vertues told | 70 |
| In a plaine style, by one whose wish and heart | |
| Supplies in zeale his want both of skill and art. | |
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| Times faithfully conferd the first inuention | |
| Of most thinges now in vse: heare you shall finde, | |
| Annex’t with these, the vse and comprehention | 75 |
| Of poesie, once to the goddes desceind. | |
| Suffer our bluntnesse then, since our intention | |
| Is to good vse, sent from a zealous mind: | |
| If stones, in lead set, keep their vertues, then | |
| Your works the same, though blazde by a rude pen. | 80 |
