Encomium Salopiæ, or the description of the pleasant situation, commendable gouernement, and rarities, of the ancient and famous towne of Shrowesbury. By Edward Thornes of McIverley gent

ENCOMIVM SALOPIAE .

A new yeares gift containing a perswasion for a congratulation and thankesgiuing vnto God for the good estate , health , wealth , and prosperitie of the famous & renowned lady dame SALOPIA , with a commemoration of her learned Pastors , diligent Schoolemasters , prouident Balifes , and discreet Councellors , presented by one of her euer wel-wishing subiects , now liuing within the Precinct of her laudable Gouernment .

TO thee faire dame ( O 〈◊〉 I flatter not ) To thee that sitst on seemely Sabrine shore , To thee these rude , and homely lines I wrot That hast bene famous in the times of yore , To thee I send the labours of my quill , As Riuers runne from fountaines of good will . Twise thirtie yeares I liued haue and three Whereby my wits are almost withered now , And yet thy Swaine will sing a song to thee If thy good nature will the same allow . I neuer suckt of Helicon the sappe , Nor was my head Iuld on Mineruas lap . And yet like Pan , I le tune mine Oaten Pipe And seeke to set my warbling notes in frame , I le make a show , as though my wits were ripe And ready still to canonize thy name , No lawrell Bay my barren brow adornes , On thistle figs grow not , nor grapes on thornes . In Broghwels time a famous Brittaine Prince , Thou wast his seat a thousand yeares agoe , Then Pengwern Powis , and Salopia since , For tract of time hath chang'd the title so , Though time breed change , & he be falne asleep , The place is known , where he his court did keep . No maruell , though he tooke delight in thee , Thou art so pleasant , fertile , fresh and faire , There are but few that may compared bee , So sweet thy scite , so healthfull is thy ayre , Being enterlac'd with fountains and with springs , Besides the pleasures sweet Sabrina brings . Whose rysing from Plimhimmous loftie hill , Where Wye and Rhydol their beginning take , With siluer streames her course continueth still , And Eastward doth her way directly make , First to Llan Idlos , then Kaer Sows runnes by , Thence to Newtowne , and so to Poole doth hye . And thence in hast , as one that long'd to see , A dame so faire , and of so great renowne , Shee did direct her speedy course to thee , Leauing behind the last recited towne . And when she view'd thy face she stood at gaze , The sight whereof her sences did amaze . And then with slower course shee tooke her way , From Cotton hill a neighbouring mount of sand , And shot the bridge although with much delay , Where Leoline once Prince of Wales doth stand , Where she did make a whirlepoole , large & deep : Intending there that night to lodge and sleep . But sturdie streames that still on her attend , Enforst her forwards much against her mind , Yet as she passed , she did much commend , Thy wals and turrets which she left behind , And so with lingring pace against her hill , She past Stonebridge , and came to Castell hill . Whence looking back , with teares & heauy groanes Desirous still thy louely face to see , The water Nymphes did then record the moanes , That shee did make in parting so from thee : She would haue staid , but force her forwards driue It is in vaine against the streame to striue . Being discontent with griefe , and sorrow great , As fast as Swallow she doth forward slide , Bridgenorth , and Beawdley , could her not entreate , Nor Worster faire , nor Teuxbury to abide , Nor Gloucester great , commended so of some , Vntill that she to Bristows bay doth come . From whence she sends such tokens vnto thee , As with her loue and true affection suites , Corne , Wine and Oyle , and Fish that needfull bee , With great abundance of all kind of fruits , What vp or downe into her storehouse come , Out of her loue she dayly sends thee some . There is a land that vale of Ambrose height , A fertile soile , for butter , milke , and cheese , For wood and cole that serue the turne aright , And other things of value great as these . And all things else that are of ought account , From Brythin braue vnto great Gilbarts mount . The neighbouring townes , & countries round about Doe bring thee daily of their chiefest store , Which makes thee rich , and glorious in and out , Increasing still thy plentie more and more , Llanuylling , Poole , W 〈◊〉 mme , Elsmer , Oswestree , All these doe serue as handmaids vnto thee . Thou hast thy Preachers , learned , graue and wise , Thomas Higgons Doctor in diuinitie . One borne and bred , within thy Royall seate , Who doth bestow his dayly exercise , To doe thee good , with care and labour great . He doth more good then many others doe , He feeds the soule , and heales the body too . Since learning and good gifts doe him adorne , O let him for the same be duly deem'd , Though in a Countrie where a man is borne , They say a Prophet is not well esteemd . When he is gone ( for all at last must die ) He will be wail'd , with many a weeping eye . There is another lamp that giueth light , Master Bright a graue and learned Preacher . Dispersing foggie cloudes of ignorance , He still is shining and is euer Bright , And readie prest the Gospell to aduance , His words , and workes , to godlinesse incline , His preaching pure , his exercise diuine . There is a third , borne of the Brittish bloud , Master Thomas Price 〈◊〉 zealous and religious Paestor . Now aged almost threescore yeares and twelue , He hath continued long , and done much good , And in the Vineyard still doth digge and delue , Whereat though some yong wits do fume & fret , He 's not dismaid , nor will giue ouer yet . From his old stemme such liuely branches spring , Daniel Price doctor in diuinity . Sampson Price master of Arts , a worthy professor . As flourish like the Palme on water side , Which to thy people daily comfort bring , Bestowing of their talents farre and wide , The tree and branches still remaine in Price , Long may they liue , to beat downe sin and vice . All these as they doe teach , so doe they hue , Which to their Doctrine brings no credit small : For why ? the life , that good example giues , Yeeldes great content vnto the hearers all , The prayse of them , with euery man is rife , That doe confirme their doctrine with their life . Thou hast free Schooles , and Masters of the same , Master 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Meighen . As Nurseries of youthfull tender plants , Where learned Meighen , chiefe for place and fame , Bestowes his dayes wherein no labour wants , They all doe spend their time & wast their health , To make fit members for a Common wealth . Now giue me leaue a little to relate , A matter that should yeeld thee much content , How happie thou art in the Magistrate , That rules thy state in ciuill gouernment . This is the thing , that doth thy glory raise , For want whereof , a Common wealth decayes . Lysurgus-like earst Lacedemons stay , Who made good lawes his subiects to combine , Which being good , they willingly obay , With one consent , and none thereat repine , By those good lawes which he so well ordaind , Vertue was rais'd , and ougly vice restraind . So doe thy Rulers labour with effect , To cherish vertue , and to punish vice , No day , no time , no season they neglect , To doe the same by counsell and aduise , The fruits whereof are found with good successe , When due obedience maketh vp the messe . The ground was laid by such as went before , Continued well by such as did fucced , Now put in practise daily more and more , By those whose trauell haue thy blisse decreed , Last yeare a Hunter , and a Gardner gainfull , This yeare a Gardner , and a Falckner painfull . The Hunter did his time so well imploy , In working for thy safetie and thy health , The Bore , the Fox , the Woolfe he did destroy , As enemies vnto thy Common-wealth , He stroke the Beare and Catterpillar downe , And did his best to chase them out of towne . That Gardiner did manure thy garden plot , And thereupon his labor did bestow , His care , his toile , his rime he spared not , To pluck the weedes wherby the hearbs might grow He did his best , and labour'd hand and foot To pull vp tare and cockle by the root . This Gardiner not vnlike the fathers sonne , Whose memory remaineth for his deedes , Doth well continue , what was well begonne , And with like diligence therein proceedes , There is good hope , hee le set and plant in prime , And cut down Hemlock , and make much of time . The Fawkner seekes those birds for to destroy , That doe in any sort thy state incumber , The greedy gripes that doe the same annoy , The iangling lay , the Bitter he keeps vnder , The Cormorants in rauening that delight , The lazie Puttock , and the greedy Kite . The sinnes reprou'd by Preachers of the word , They both doe ioyne , to vnderstand and know , And then they cut them off with iustice sword , That by their wils againe they neuer grow : They doe their best to punish luxurie , And drunkennesse , but cannot vsurie . These two ( if I prognosticate aright ) Will adde to that which hath bin done before , And vnto those that follow giue such light , As may increase thy profit more and more , By their good meanes before the yeare be ended ; What is amisse , I hope shall be amended . There is one vice that 's noted farre and wide , ( Aye me for griefe ) that I must now expresse it , This vice is called a Salopian pride , And I doe feare they neuer can suppresse it : This vice doth soare so high , it is past cure , They cannot make it stoop vnto the lure . It hath foure daughters worthy such a mother , Hatred , and malice , Enuie and Disdaine , The one of these could neuer loue the other , Whereby their nature is discouered plaine , There whole delight consists in doing euill , Much like vnto their Grandfather the Deuil . O that they might be chased hence away , So might thy subiects bin at rest and peace . O that I might but liue to see that day , So Charitie and Concord would increase , These furies fiue doe in thy Pallace dwell , I know the place , but yet I dare not tell . Whiles here they stay , they will endeuor still , To foster strife , and factions to maintaine , If they prevaile herein , and haue their will , Thy Preachers and thy Rulers worke in vaine . For this disease to finde a salue in season , ( In my opinion ) passeth humane reason . Then from the hope of humane help decline , And pray to God to keepe these furies vnder , And also by his might and power diuine In his good time to breake their bonds in sunder , He can and may for thy vtilitie , Depressing Pride exalt Humilitie . And then shall Loue put Hatred vnto flight , And Charitie shal Enuie chase away , And grudge and malice then shall loose their might , And Amitie in stead of them shal stay , And in the place of discord and disdaine , Goodwill and Concord shall the fort maintaine : Then friend with friend shall louingly conuerse , And flatterers and falshood set aside , And neighbour vnto neighbour shall rehearse , The happie state wherein they then abide : And blesse the time wherin such change was made , When rich and poore liue well vpon their trade . The idle sluggard then will painfull proue , The hastie person will commend forbearance , The drunkard his affections will remoue , The greedy Glutton turne to Temperance , He that before was couetous and greedy , will now make hast to help the poore and needy . He that did loue contention and debate , Will then desire to liue in quietnesse , And is contented with his owne estate And will releeue his neighbour in distresse Thus as they vice detest , and vertue nourish , Thou maist be sure thy Commonwealth wil flourish . Behold how good and pleasant eke it is , Sampson Price vpon Innocents day . For brethrtn still to liue in vnitie , It comprehends the ioyes of heauenly blisse And pleasing much vnto the Trinitie , This lesson sweet was lately taught to thee : Out of the Psalme , one hundred thirtie three . Adde zeale and true Religion vnto this , Abolish superstitious and precise , Compell the Newters to amend their misse , So shal thy state to happinesse arise . When these predictions thou at last shalt see , Giue God the thankes that sent them vnto thee . For of our selues we nothing can demerite , So are we taught , and so we ought to learne , What good we haue it commeth from the spirit : The good from bad we cannot well discerne . So doe we read , so Scriptures doe discusse , We haue no good till God doth giue it vs . What haue we wherevpon to make our brags , Vnprofitable seruants euery one , Much like a sort of rotten ragges , Most vile and loathsome for to looke vpon . The great compassion he on vs did take , Came from his loue not for our merits sake . When God the father after Adams fall , Master Bright vpon Saint Stephens day . These sweet and comfortable words did speake , I le not from man my mercy cleane recall , The womans seed the Serpents head shall breake In prayse and giuing thankes vpon him call , Who as he made , so is he heire of all . He came both poore and bare into the world , Sampson Price vpon the day of the Natiuitie of Christ . Was borne in Bethelem in a stable base , The Inne to him no lodging would afford , His mother in a manger did him place , The cloaths but meane that Mary wrapt him in , As he tooke life , so died he for our sin . Then giue him thankes and euerlasting prayse , From Sathans bondage that hath set thee free , By death , from death to life he did thee rayse : A ransome great , if thou the same couldst see . For all these blessings spoken of before , Giue him thy heart , he doth desire no more . The hungry Hogge that eateth all and some , And vnderneath the Oake on Acornes feedes , Doth not looke vp to see from whence they come , Nor once consider whence this food proceedes , Be not vngratefull to that God of thine , Lift vp thy lookes , shew not thy selfe a Swine . He all bestowes , which little we regard , He giues vs health , and wealth , and libertie , And sence , and mouing , seeking no reward , But faithfull loue without hypocrisie , Of Lepers ten which he did cleanse alone , None did returne to giue him thankes , but one . If I haue bin too sawcy or too bold , In giuing counsell where I ought to learne , I am contented for to be controld , By such a Pilot as can rule the sterne , Since what I write doe my affections proue , Pardon presumption that proceedes from loue . If 〈◊〉 carpe and seeme to keepe a stirre , He hath no cause if truth be vnderstood , If Momus barke , I care not for the Curre , He comes by due discent from Enuies brood : What I haue writ , is for loue of thee , More will I write if this accepted bee . Finis .