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Upon this joyful day, some dainty chaplets twine: Some others chosen out, with fingers neat and fine, Brave anadems do make: some bauldricks up do bind: [sign'd

Some, garlands; and to some the nosegays were asAs best their skill did serve. But for that Tame should be

Still man-like as himself, therefore they will that he Should not be drest with flowers to gardens that belong,

(His bride that better fit) but only such as sprung From the replenish'd meads, and fruitful pastures

near.

To sort which flowers, some sit; some making garlands were;

The primrose placing first, because that in the spring
It is the first appears, then only flourishing; [mix'd:
The azur'd hare-bell next, with them they neatly
T'allay whose luscious smell, they woodbind plac'd
betwixt.
[the lilly;

Amongst those things of scent, there prick they in
And near to that again, her sister daffadilly.
To sort these flowers of show, with th' other that
were sweet,

The cowslip then they couch, and th' oxlip, for her

meet:

The columbine amongst they sparingly do set,
The yellow kingscup, wrought in many a curious fret,
And now and then among, of eglantine a spray,
By which again a course of lady-smocks they lay:
The crow-flower, and thereby the clover-flower they
stick,

The daisy, over all those sundry sweets so thick,
As nature doth herself; to imitate her right;
Who seems in that her pearl so greatly to delight,
That every plain therewith she powd'reth to behold:
The crimson darnel-flower, the blue-bottle, and gold;
Which though esteem'd but weeds; yet for their
dainty hues,
[chuse.

And for their scent not ill, they for this purpose Thus having told you how the bridegroom Tame was drest,

I'll shew you how the bride, fair Isis, they invest;
Sitting to be attir'd under her bower of state,
Which scorns a meaner sort, than fits a princely rate.
In anadems for whom they curiously dispose
The red, the dainty white, the goodly damask rose,
For the rich ruby, pearl, and amethyst, men place
In kings imperial crowns, the circle that inchace.
The brave carnation then, with sweet and sovereign
power

(So of his colour call'd, although a July-flower) With th' other of his kind, the speckled and the pale:

[gale

Then th' odoriferous pink, that sends forth such a
Of sweetness; yet in scents as various as in sorts.
The purple violet then, the pansie there supports:
The marygold above t' adorn the arched bar:
The double-daisy, thrift, the button batchelor,
Sweet-william, sops-in-wine, the campion: and to

these

Some lavender they put, with rosemary and bays:

Sweet marjoram, with her like, sweet basil rare for smell, [to tell: With many a flower, whose name were now too long And rarely with the rest, the goodly flour-de-lis.

Thus for the nuptial hour, all fitted point-device, Whilst some still busied are in decking of the bride, Some others were again as seriously employ'd In strewing of those herbs, at bridals us'd that be; Which every where they throw with bounteous hands and free. [do fly,

The healthful balm and mint, from their full laps The scentful camomile, the ven'rous costmary; They hot muscado oil with milder maudlin cast; Strong tansey, fennel cool, they prodigally waste: Clear hysop, and therewith the comfortable thyme, Germander with the rest, each thing then in her [flower,

prime;

As well of wholesome herbs, as every pleasant Which nature here produc'd, to fit this happy hour. Amongst these strewing kinds, some other wild that

grow,

As burnet, all abroad, and meadow-wort they throw.

Thus all things falling out to every one's desire, The ceremonies done that marriage doth require, The bride and bridegroom set, and serv'd with sundry cates,

And every other plac'd as fitted their estates; Amongst this confluence great, wise Charwell here was thought

The fitt'st to cheer the guests; who thoroughly had been taught

In all that could pertain to courtship, long agon, As coming from his sire, the fruitful Helidon, [towns He travelleth to Tames; where passing by those Of that rich country near, whereas the mirthful clowns,

With tabor and the pipe, on holidays do use, Upon the may-pole green, to trample out their shoes: And having in his ears the deep and solemn rings, Which found him all the way, unto the learned springs, [meet,

Where he his sovereign Ouze most happily doth And him, the thrice-three maids, Apollo's offspring, greet

With all their sacred gifts; thus, expert being grown
In music; and besides, a curious maker known;
This Charwell (as I said) the first these floods among,
For silence having call'd, thus to th' assembly sung:
'Stand fast, ye higher hills; low vallies easily lie;
And forests, that to both you equally apply
(But for the greater part, both wild and barren be)
Retire ye to your wastes; and rivers, only we,
Oft meeting let us mix: and with delightful grace,
Let every beauteous nymph her best-lov'd flood
embrace,

An alien be he born, or near to her own spring,
So from his native fount he bravely flourishing,
Along the flow'ry fields licentiously do strain,
Greeting each curled grove, and circling everyplain;
Or hasting to his fall, his shoaly gravel scow'rs,
And with his crystal front then courts the climbing

tow'rs.

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Where is there haven found, or harbour, like that
Int' which some goodly flood his burden doth un-
load?
[reign fraught
By whose rank swelling stream the far-fecht-fo-
May up to inland-towns conveniently be brought.
Of any part of earth, we be the most renown'd;
That countries very oft, nay, empires oft we bound.
As Rubicon, much fam'd both for his fount and fall,
The ancient limit held 'twixt Italy and Gaul.
Europe and Asia keep on Tanais' either side. [vide.
Such honour have we floods, the world (even) to di-
Nay, kingdoms thus we prove are christened oft by
Iberia takes her name from crystal Iberus. [us;
Such reverence to our kind the wiser ancients gave,
As they suppos'd each flood a deity to have.

"But with our fame at home return we to proceed. In Britain here we find, our Severn, and our Tweed, The tripartited isle do generally divide, [side.

To England, Scotland, Wales, as each doth keep her Trent cuts the land in two so equally, as tho' Nature it pointed-out, to our great Brute to shew How to his mighty sons the island he might share; A thousand of this kind, and nearer, I will spare; Where, if the state of floods at large I list to shew, I proudly could report how Pactolus doth throw Up grains of perfect gold; and of great Ganges tell, Which when full India's showers enforceth him to swell,

[shore:

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Amongst his holts and hills, as on his way he makes,
At Reading once arriv'd, clear Kennet overtakes
His lord the stately Tames, which that great flood
With many signs of joy doth kindly entertain. [again
Then Loddon next comes in, contributing her store;
As still we see, the much runs ever to the more.
Set out with all this pomp, when this imperial

stream

pursue

Himself establish'd sees amidst his wat'ry realm, His much-lov'd Henly leaves, and prouder doth [view. His wood-nymph Windsor's seat, her lovely site to Whose most delightful face when once the river sees, Which shews herself attir'd in tall and stately trees, He in such earnest love with amorous gestures woes, That looking still at her, his way was like to lose; And wand'ring in and out, so wildly seems to go, As headlong he himself into her lap would throw. Him with the like desire the forest doth embrace, And with her presence strives her Tames as much to grace.

No forest, of them all, so fit as she doth stand, When princes, for their sports, her pleasures will command;

[seen,

No wood-nymph as herself such troops had ever
Nor can such quarries boast as have in Windsor
Nor any ever had so many solemn days, [been;
So brave assemblies view'd, nor took so rich assays.
Then, hand in hand, her Tames the forest softly
brings

To that supremest place of the great English kings,
The Garter's royal seat, from him who did advance
That princely order first, our first that conquer'd
France;
[knights,

The temple of St. George, whereas his honour'd
Upon his hallowed day, observe their ancient rites:
Where Eaton is at hand to nurse that learned brood,
To keep the Muses still near, to this princely flood;
That nothing there may want, to beautify that seat,
With every pleasure stor❜d: and here my song com-
plete.

THE XXVIII. SONG OF THE SAME.
THE ARGUMENT.

Three shires at once this song assays,

By various and unusual ways.
At Nottingham first coming in,
The vale of Bever doth begin;

Tow'rds Le'ster then her course she holds,
And sailing o'er the pleasant Oulds,
She fetcheth Soare down from her springs,
By Charnwood, which to Trent she brings,
Then shows the braveries of that flood,
Makes Sherwood sing her Robin Hood;
Then rouzes up the aged Peak,
And of her wonders makes her speak:
Thence Darwin down by Derby tends,
And at her fall to Trent, it ends.

Now scarcely on this tract the Muse had entrance made,

Inclining to the south, but Bever's batning slade

Receiveth her to guest, whose coming had too long Put off her rightful praise, when thus herself she sung,

'Three shires there are (quoth she) in me their
parts that claim,
[Nottingham.

Large Lincoln, Rutland rich, and th' north's eye
But in the last of these since most of me doth lie,
To that my most-loved shire myself I must apply.
Not Eusham that proud nymph, although she
still pretend
[send
Herself the first of vales, and though abroad she
Her awful dread command, that all should tribute
pay
[though her clay
To her as our great queen; nor White-horse,
Of silver seem to be, new melted, nor the vale
Of Aylsbury, whose grass seems given out by tale,
For it so silken is, nor any of our kind,

Or what, or where they be, or howsoe'er inclin'd, Me Bever shall outbrave, that in my state do scorn, By any of them all (once) to be overborn,

With theirs, do but compare the country where I lie,
My Hill, and Oulds will say, they are the island's
Consider next my scite, and say it doth excel; [eye.
Then come unto my soil, and you shall see it swell
With every grass and grain, that Britain forth can
bring;

I challenge any vale, to shew me but that thing
I cannot shew to her (that truly is mine own)
Beside I dare thus boast, that I as far am known,
As any of them all, the south their names doth sound,
The spacious north doth me, that there is scarcely
found,

A roomth for any else, it is so fill'd with mine,
Which but a little wants of making me divine:
Nor barren am of brooks, for that I still retain
Two neat and dainty rills, the little Snyte, and Deane,
That from the lovely Oulds, their beauteous parent
sprung

From the Leicestrian fields, come on with me along,
Till both within one bank,theyon my north are meint,
And where I end, they fall, at Newark, into Trent.'

Hence wand'ring as the Muse delightfully beholds The beauty of the large, and goodly full-flock'd Oulds,

She on the left hand leaves old Leicester, and flies,
Until the fertile earth glut her insatiate eyes,
From rich to richer still, that riseth her before,
Until she come to cease upon the head of Soare,
Where Fosse, and Watling, cut each other in their
[source,

course

At Sharnford, where at first her soft and gentle
To her but shallow banks, begineth to repair,
Of all this beauteous isle, the delicatest air;
Whence softly sallying out, as loth the place to leave,
She Sence a pretty rill doth courteously receive:
For Swift, a little brook, which certainly she thought
Down to the banks of Trent would safely her have
brought,

Because their native springs so nearly were ally'd,
Her sister Soare forsook, and wholly her apply'd
To Avon, as with her continually to keep,
And wait on her along to the Sabrinian deep.

Thus with her handmaid Sence, the Soare doth eas❜ly slide

By Leicester, where yet her ruins show her pride, Demolish'd many years, that of the great foundation Of her long buried walls, men hardly see the station; Yet of some pieces found, so sure the cement locks The stones, that they remain like perdurable rocks: Where whilst the lovely Soare, with many a dear embrace,

Is solacing herself with this delightful place, The forest, which the name of that brave town doth bear, [hair, With many a goodly wreath, crowns her dishevel'd And in her gallant green, her lusty livery shows Herself to this fair flood, which mildly as she flows, Reciprocally likes her length and breadth to see, As also how she keeps her fertile purlues free: The herds of fallow deer she on the lawns doth feed, As having in herself to furnish every need. [take, But now since gentle Soare such leisure seems to The Muse in her behalf this strong defence doth make, [her so,

Against the neighbour floods, for that which tax And her a channel call, because she is so slow. The cause is that she lies upon so low a flat, Where nature most of all befriended her in that, The longer to enjoy the good she doth possess: For had those (with such speed that forward seem

to press)

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Who led from room to room amazed is to see
The furniture and states, which all embroideries be,
The rich and sumptuous beds, with tester covering
plumes,

And various as the sutes, so various the perfumes, Large galleries, where piece with piece doth seem to strive,

Of pictures done to life, landskip, and perspective, Thence goodly gardens sees, where antique statues stand

In stone and copper, cut by many a skilful hand; Where every thing to gaze, her more and more entices,

Thinking at once she sees a thousand paradises,
Goes softly on, as though before she saw the last,
She long'd again to see, what she had slightly past.
So the enticing soil the Soare along doth lead,
As wond'ring in herself, at many a spacious mead;
When Charnwood from the rocks salutes her wished
[light,

sight,

(Of many a wood-god woo'd) her darling and deWhose beauty whilst that Soare is pausing to behold Clear Wreakin coming in, from Waltham on the Ould,

Brings Eye, a pretty brook, to bear her silver train, Which on by Melton makes, and tripping o'er the

plain,

Here finding her surpriz'd with proud Mount-sorrel's sight,

By quickening of her course, more eas❜ly doth invite Her to the goodly Trent, whereas she goes along By Loughborough, she thus of that fair forest sung. 'O Charnwood, be thou call'd the choicest of thy kind,

The like in any place, what flood hath hapt to find? No tract in all this isle, the proudest let her be, Can shew a sylvan nymph, for beauty like to thee: The satyrs, and the fawns, by Dian set to keep Rough hills, and forest holts, were sadly seen to weep,

When thy high-palmed harts, the sport of bows and hounds,

By gripple borderers hands, were banished thy grounds.

The Driades that were wont about thy lawns to rove, To trip from wood to wood, and scud from grove to grove, [rocks,

On Sharpley that were seen, and Cadman's aged Against the rising sun, to braid their silver locks; And with the harmless Elves, on heathy Bardon's height, [night,

By Cynthia's colder beams to play them night by Exil'd their sweet abode to poor bare commons fled, They with the oaks that liv'd, now with the oaks are dead.

Who will describe to life, a forest, let him take Thy surface to himself, nor shall he need to make Another form at all, where oft in thee is found Fine sharp but easy hills, which reverently are crown'd [sheep

With aged antique rocks, to which the goats and (To him that stands remote) do softly seem to creep, To gnaw the little shrubs, on their steep sides that grow;

Upon whose other part, on some descending brow,
Huge stones are hanging out, as though they down
would drop,
[prop
Where under-growing oaks, on their old shoulders
The others hoary heads, which still seem to decline,
And in a dimble near (even as a place divine,
For contemplation fit) an ivy-ceiled bower,

As nature had therein ordain'd some sylvan power;
As men may very oft at great assemblies see, [be:
Where many of most choice, and wond'red beauties
For stature one doth seem the best away to bear;
Another for her shape, to stand beyond compare ;
Another for the fine composure of a face:
Another short of these, yet for a modest grace
Before them all prefer'd; amongst the rest yet one,
Adjudg’d by all to be, so perfect paragon,
That all those parts in her together simply dwell,
For which the other do so severally excel.
My Charnwood, like the last, hath in herself alone,
What excellent can be in any forest shown.'

On whom when thus the Soare had these high
praises spent,

She easily slid away into her sovereign'Trent, Who having wander'd long, at length began to leave Hernative country's bounds, and kindly doth receive

The lesser Tame, and Mess, the Mess a dainty rill, Near Charnwood rising first, where she begins to fill Her banks, which all her course on both sides do abound

With heath and ferny olds, and often gleaby ground,
Till Croxall's fertile earth doth comfort her at last
When she is ent'ring Trent; but I was like t' have
past
[hers,

The other Sence, whose source doth rise not far from
By Ancor, that herself to famous Trent prefers,
The second of that name, allotted to this shire,
A name but hardly found in any place but here;
Nor is to many known, this country that frequent.

But Muse return at last, attend the princely Trent, Who straining on in state,the north's imperious flood, The third of England call'd,with many a daintywood, Being crown'd to Burton comes, to Needwood where she shows [flows,

Herself in all her pomp; and as from thence she She takes into her train rich Dove, and Darwin clear, Darwin, whose font and fall are both in Derbyshire; And of those thirty floods, that wait the Trent upon, Doth stand without compare, the very paragon.

Thus wand'ring at her will, as uncontroul'd she

ranges,

Her often varying form, as variously and changes. First Erwash, and then Lyne, sweet Sherwood sends

her in ;

Then looking wide, as one that newly wak'd had been,

Saluted from the north, with Nottingham's proud height,

So strongly is surpris'd, and taken with the sight,
That she from running wild, but hardly can refrain,
To view in how great state, as she along doth strain,
That brave exalted seat beholdeth her in pride,
As how the large-spread meads upon the other side,
All flourishing in flowers, and rich embroideries
dress'd,
[bless'd.

In which she sees herself above her neighbours As wrap'd with the delights, that her this prospect brings,

In her peculiar praise, lo thus the river sings:

'What should I care at all, from what my name

I take,

That thirty doth import, that thirty rivers make;
My greatness what it is, or thirty abbeys great,
That on my fruitful banks, times formerly did seat:
Or thirty kinds of fish that in my streams do live,
To me this name of Trent, did from that number give.
What reck I let great Thames, since by his for-
tune he

Is sovereign of us all that here in Britain be;
From Isis, and old Tame, his pedigree derive;
And for the second place, proud Severn that doth
strive,

Fetch her descent from Wales, from that proud

mountain sprung, Plinillimon, whose praise is frequent them among, As of that princely maid, whose name she boasts to bear, [heir, Bright Sabrin, whom she holds as her undoubted

Let these imperious floods draw down their long descent

From these so famous stocks, and only say of Trent, That Mooreland's barren earth me first to light did [plexion'd spring

bring, Which though she be but brown, my clear comGain'd with the nymphs such grace, that when I first did rise,

The Naiades on my brim danc'd wanton hydagies, And on her spacious breast (with heaths that doth abound)

Encircled my fair fount with many a lusty round: And of the British floods, though but the third I be, Yet Thames and Severn both in this come short of me For that I am the mere of England, that divides The north part from the south, on my so either sides, That reckoning how these tracts in compass be extent, [Trent ; Men bound them on the north, or on the south of Their banks are barren sands, if but compar'd with mine,

[shine:

Through my perspicuous breast, the pearly peebles I throw my crystal arms along the flow'ry vallies, Which lying sleek and smooth as any garden-alleys, Do give me leave to play, whilst they do court my stream,

And crown mywinding banks with many an anadem: My silver-scaled sculls about my streams do sweep, Now in the shallow fords, now in the falling deep: So that of every kind, the new spawn'd numerous fry Seem in me as the sands that on my shore do lie. The barbell, than which fish a braver doth not swim, Nor greater for the ford within my spacious brim, Nor (newly taken) more the curious taste doth please; The greling, whose great spawn is big as any pease; The pearch with pricking fins, against the pike prepar'd,

As nature had thereon bestow'd this stronger guard His daintiness to keep, (each curious palate's proof) From his vile ravenous foe: next him I name the

ruffe,

His very near ally, and both for scale and fin,
In taste, and for his bait (indeed) his next of kin,
The pretty slender dare, of many call'd the dace,
Within my liquid glass, when Phoebus looks his face,
Oft swiftly as he swims, his silver belly shows,
But with such nimble flight, that e'er ye can disclose
His shape, out of your sight like lightning he is shot.
The trout by nature mark'd with manya crimson spot,
As though she curious were in him above the rest,
And of fresh-water fish, did note him for the best;
The roche, whose common kind to every flood doth
fall;
(call)
The chub (whose neater name which some a chevin
Food to the tyrant pike, (most being in his power)
Who for their numerous store he most doth them
devour;

The lusty salmon then, from Neptune's wat'ry realm,
When as his season serves, stemming my tideful

stream,

Then being in his kind, in me his pleasure takes, (For whom the fisher then all other game forsakes)

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The lamprey, and his lesse, in Severn general be; The flounder smooth and flat, in other rivers caught, Perhaps in greater store, yet better are not thought: The dainty gudgeon, loche, the minnow, and the Since they but little are, I little need to speak [bleake, Of them, nor doth it fit me much of those to reck, Which every where are found in every little beck; Nor of the crayfish here, which creeps amongst my stones,

From all the rest alone, whose shell is all his bones: For carp, the tench, and breame, my other store

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other lays,

For she was let to know, that Soare had in her song So chanted Charnwood's worth, the rivers that along, Amongst the neighbouring nymphs there was no [her praise: But those which seem'd to sound of Charnwood, and Which Sherwood took to heart, and very much disdain'd, [tain'd (As one that had both long, and worthily mainThe title of the great'st and bravest of her kind) To fall so far below one wretchedly confin'd Within a furlong's space, to her large skirts compar'd:

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Wherefore she as a nymph that neither fear'd nor car'd

For ought to her might chance, by others love or hate, With resolution arm'd against the power of fate,

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