A panegyricke to the most honourable and renovvned Lord, the Lord Hays vicount of Doncaster, His Maiesties of Great-Brittaine ambassadour in Germanie sung by the Rhine, interpreted by George Rodolfe Weckherlin Secr. to his High. of Wirtemberg.

A PANEGYRICKE . MOst noble Lord te see you I did long , And now I long to sing your worthie praise ; For neuer worse can bee my simple song , Then my silence of your renowned bays , Whose luster shall receiue ( I trust ) no wrong By those small flours , my humble hand doth raise . Nought doe I craue , nor hope I any thing , And nought but truth wills mee your laud to sing . My greedie eares did often gladly heare The worthines of your beloued Name , When Thamesis , to whom you are still deare , When the Sea-gods and Syrens sung the same , Rounding the world with accents sweet and cleare , Of your perfect yet still encreasing Fame : Thus right to know did wish my gotten hart If greater were their grace or your desart . Now doe I see , in you now doe I find That your desarts doe any praise excell ; I find that Fame ( els commonly too kind ) Is but to you to scant , to hard and fell : Which though too great it seemed in my mind , Yet did my thoughts of you suppose full well : But now I read , that Fame could not record , Nor I inuent , what you your selfe afford . Let Phaebus tell if euer hee did see In this vast world an other liuing wight , Who justly can with you compared bee , Whom Naturs hand to frame tooke such delight , Graunting to him such an ascendent Fee , Where els withall a thousand could bee dight : In whom allone with loue so faire as sweet All gifts of mind , bodie and fortune meet . A worthie twig of a most auncient brood , ( Of Scotlands crowne a noble ornament ) Haue you beene borne , where some of that high blood Were to their foes their last astonishment ; Some others did with counsel wise and good The Kingdoms ease and their owne fame augment . But you to laud , 't is needles to declare What they haue beene , but onely what you are . The splendor of the stocke giu's but small pleasure , That often Chaunce mak's to base minds best knowne ; And such a fame is but a borrowed treasure , A lightning shew of a worthlesse renowne : But Vertues hand , with her excessiue measure Spreading your laud , adorn's you with a crowne , Which , like the Sunne , still excellently bright , Doeth take of none but giu's to many light . Not Fortunes blind franke and abusiue hand , The which to deale her wealth confusedly Doeth no desarts see , weigh , nor vnderstand , But heauens Loue did courteously applie Such goods to you ( your worth not to withstand ) Whereby doe still your merits multiplie . For your great hart , that no gold can recouer , Is of all gold a master nev'r a Louer . The chiefest care , richesse in you can breed , Is well to doe the chiefest instrument . Gold doth some men , while they on gold doe feed , With staruing paine and greedinesse torment : But in your hart , the ground of Vertues seed , Yeeld's it tribut to your encouragement ; And that , whereby some commonly growe vaine , Most vaine to you , mak's you true glorie gaine . The godlie shape , which heauen did enchace With supreme skill within your bodies frame , Doeth well appeare in your most worthie face , Like through a cloud the heauens purest flame : And as th' outside of a well-builded place . Mak's vs beleeue , th' inside bee without blame ; Thus seeing you my thoughts doe by mine eyes , I know not what , more then your self aduise . That monster fierce , that all good doeth enuie , Whose spightfull tong of no good can speake well , May your whole life with sharpest look's well spie , Yet must it but against his liking tell , The noblest hart of valour , courtesie , And gallantnesse within your breast doe dwell ; And that your soule enjoyeth ( most content ) All goods that Art and Nature can present . When courtlie sport to any enterprise Bids you a foot or on horsebacke to fight , Or when you please with other exercise That wisest Kings ( your Dreads ) most worthiest sight , You may still get ( if so you will ) the prize : But when your tong with her sweet-flowing might Assaileth harts , then doe you plainly proue , You can subdue all by force or by love . Once I was told ( when you went into France ) How wanton Loue did faire Thetis deceiue , How , while your ship the Tritons made to daunce , Hee meaned her of her hart to bereaue ; How her greene eyes your grace and vertues glaunce Did greedily into her breast receiue : Your presence braue brought her her Sonne to mind , Whose image shee could no where truer find . Thus now my Nymfs , nay all the peoples stout Of Germanie , which your presence doeth grace , Ioyfully runne and sing you round about ( Glad with their armes and harts you to embrace ) With minds and mouths all with mee crying out : Ay-during bee the happie health and grace ! Still florishing may bee the praise and bays ( As the desarts bee great ) of My lord HAYS ! More would I say , but that your glories light , Dimming mine eyes , doth quite my mind oppresse : And though I say much , yet is it but slight , Since that much more my silence doth suppresse . It may bee too , that to your harts braue hight This lowlie song doth cause but loathsomnesse : Or ( as I thinke ) you are to heare more sorie , Then prompt and glad to deserue praise and glorie .