Bien venu Great Britaines welcome to hir greate friendes, and deere brethren the Danes

BIEN VENV . Great Britaines welcome to her great friends , and deare Brethren , the Danes . YE Angels which ( in Soule inchaunting Quires ) Do celebrate your Soueraignes holy praise , Who ever burne in loues refyning fires , & Concords Tones to highest Thrones do raise , Descend ( by Swarmes , on wings of Loues desires ) Discords to drowne with Loues harmonious Layes : And ope Heauens Casements wherthrough fly ye do , Right ore the place where one King lyues in two . And , were yee ignorant where that should be , But ope those wind-dores and yee soone should know : For , to the Heauens the fame thereof doth flee , From now great Britaine ( highest Heauen below ) There shall yee finde two great Kings so agree , As if the one , the others Heart did owe : Sith Loues great Lord , and yours , doth ioy in this , His ioy to you ( his Guard ) is highest blisse . Then , come ( Celestiall Soldiers ) make a Ring , About the Kings , wherein your King doth ioy : A twofold Guard make for this twofold King , Of Men , and Angels , from what would anoy : Let Enuie in your Targets leaue hir Sting , That she may not anoy , much lesse destroy : And whatsoere impugnes their peacefull plight , On your resistance let their rancour light . Britaine , thou once didst stretch thy conquering Armes Where ere the fower Seas with thy wings do warre : And though , through hurts , receiu'd in hot Alarmes , ( As maim'd ) thou couldst not reach scarse halfe so farre ; Yet now thou hast recouered thy harmes , Thine Armes those Seas embrace , but cannot barre : For , had'st thou will , as thou hast power obtaind , By Sea , nor Land thine Armes could be containd . The rather , sith a King so gracefully great , ( Graced by Greatnesse as he It doth grace ) Is one with ours , to make ours more compleat , As ours with Him makes Him in better case : What forraine Pow'r to shunne their Angers heat , Will not speake coldly , with a fawning face : Whose Armes , together ioynd , can compasse all That stands betweene the great Turke and his fall . Denmarke exult , sith what thou hadst , thou hast : Thou didst of yore ( thou wotst ) command this Land : That now againe is present , which is past : In Loue , thou maist the Land ( inlargd ) command : For , it to thee is So vnited fast , That one to other cannot choose but stand : Withstand you whoso will , you both , as one , Must stand or fall , by force of Vnion ▪ O VNION ! that enclaspest in thyne armes , All that in Heau'n and Earth is great , or good , ( Thou Heau'nly Harbour from all earthly harmes ) Thou Damm , that staist the Streams of humane bloud ) What humane Heart but ( maugre Hatreds Charms ) Will not desire thee , as the Angells food ? Sith through thy powr thou makst mans powr so strong As not to offer , much lesse suffer wrong , Thou Isle ( which Thetis in hir lap doth lull , And with Indulgence makes thee wantonize ) Now maist thou feathers from thy Peacocks pull , To set thee out , in eie-attracting wise : Triumph with ioy : for , now if thou be dull The world , as base , will iustly thee despise : Sith neere thy Forehead stand two Kings of pow'r , To smooth it , maugre all that makes it low'r . Arches tryumphall to the Heauens erect , Whereunder threefold-Maiestie may passe , Whose beames on It , true Eyes may so reflect , As do the Sunnes from clearest christall glasse : Let all thy st●eetes with Obiectes deere bee deckt , To show thy State is more then ere it was : For , in no moderne memorie hath beene , Two such great Kings in thee together seene . O could Canutus ( that victorious Dane , That whilome did thy great State Signiorize , Whose sword , through men , to thy Crowne made a lane ) Now see his Ofspring , in thy Paradise , Ador'd of all thine , holy , or prophane , He would bee readie to forsake the skyes , And come , with heauenly glorie , to augment , Great Britaines glorie , worlds great wonderment ! Yee noble Blouds to Honours Taske assign'd , Let now your mounting Spirits make you mount , Such Pegasses as may out-fly the winde , And shiuer Staues , at Tilt ( beyond your wont ) That Times to come in Poets Staues , may finde , Yee did great Arthurs Minions farre surmount : Proclame a Chalenge through the world to make , Your valours knowne , for Kingly honors sake . Yee read of many Chalenges proclaim'd , By Keysors past , that present Time admires ; And how the Victors haue their Daughters claim'd , As the proposed Prizes by their Sires : Out-run those Runners , sith their fame is maim'd That runne but through effeminate desires : Runne yee for glorie , and your Soueraignes grace , So shall your fames runne farre beyond your Race . If Pompe to Prowesse ere were kindly knit , Now to your Prowesse add ye pompe , sans pride : And to your pompe the richest show of wit , For , oft such showes , do showes more simple hide , And to the Showers glorie gaine by it , That els perhaps ( in gold ) might not be eyde : As Heauen hath Starres her face to beautifie , So be you Starres , to make Earths Heauenly . And like the Starres opposed , and dispos'd , Produce ye wonders , mankinde to amaze : Let Denmarke see great Brittaine , with her clos'd , Makes the World stand in wonderment at gaze ; Sith of their Mould it sees halfe-Gods compos'd , That doe the memorie of others raze : The manner of your motions fetch from thence , From whence the Starres deriue their influence . So shall they be all glorious , like the Sunne , That runnes oblikelie to the Heauens Race : So , though your deeds for Pompe , and praise be donne , It is dispenc't with , by the Heauenly grace : Sith Princes they alow a Race to runne , As may , with pompe , deuide them from the Base : " The Time , and Place , and Persons may be such , " That Pompe may show her All , yet not too much . For , Charge is measur'd by Hability , Not by the Cost , what ere the Charges are ; Showes most maiestick , fit most Maiestie ; Which is in Earth , where Kings as one appeare : Vniting so their Raies of Roialty , Which needs must make it great , as it is rare : Then spare no Cost , sith Gold for glori's made , And glory now is got , which cannot fade . For , Honors Chalenge now is on her wings , Flying ( from Hence ) through all the Continent ; Lighting no where but in the Courts of Kings : Inciting all ( in earnest meriment ) To proue their force , by Armes , which glorie brings Against the brauest British hardiment : Is therefore now ye shrinke ( sith gold is deere ) Y' are farre from Glorie , sith ye are so neere . If many Worlds ye seek , or Ages liue , Perhaps ye should not find occasion such , As now rich Opportunity doth giue To make you Fame-full though it empt your Pouche : Two Kings thus met ▪ make Kingdomes richly thriue , Though it vnlines their Purse with wearing much : Then , sith but seld , or ne're Kings consort thus , Be glorious now , or still inglorious . Get Phaenix-feathers to adorne your Crests , Wherein imparadize the Soule of Wit With such deuice as onelie Wit disgests ; Yet fills him head-full with receiuing it : Your Launces tip with Diamonds ; your Rests Of Rubies make , this pretious time to fit : Arme ye in gold , that golden worlds may view , Great Britain's metamorphos'd to Peru. Let not the Sawes of eache neere niggard friend , Regarded be , that euer speakes to spare ; Sith there are times to spare , and times to spend : According as our times , and fortunes are : No Charge so great as Highnes back can bend , When it s vpheld by Props , as ritch , as rare ; Though Money be the sinewes of the warres , It must be spent too , to preuent those Iarres . Great Britaines Denmarke , Denmarkes Britaine is , By transmigration one int'other gon ; Which doth increase their beauty , strength , & blisse , And firmes their forme by transformation : Then shall we not ( as glad ) triumph in this , Sith their two heads are now ( or neuer ) one : Like horses , we our owne strength do not know , If when our strengths increase , no icy we show . Looke on the faces of these Danes , our kin , How like they are to vs ; as if we were Borne of eache other , as we erst haue bin ; If likenesse then begets affection deere , We may exceed in showing ( without sinne ) Our Loues to them , as theirs to vs appeare : We haue a Pledge of theirs , their deerest bloud , Our deerest Queen , whence our deere Princes bud . Then wel-fare yee , by whom so well we fare : And welcome ye , through whome we well are come Vnto that greatnesse , that we are as square As any Potentate of Christendome : All yours and ours conioyned as they are Gainst other force inuincible become : Then are ye welcome for these deer respects , To vs , who you embrace with deer'st affects . Though * * Comines one hath writ that well Historifies , Much hurt ensues the interuiew of Kings , Because their Traines each other oft despise ▪ For , men in strife for Pompe , are diuelish Things : Yet where great Pompe is shown , in louing wise , To show great welcome , no hurt from it springs : Then what our pompe perswades , or we performe , Is yours , and ours , sith loue doth vs conforme . Conformd by loue , informd by wit , and grace ( As Nations ciuill , eache alide to eache ) We , as your Hosts , will giue your ( Guests ) the place , Whiles our Prouisions do your welcome preache ; And you accept it with a ioyfull face ; So , in our Vnitie shall be no breache : The Master of a feast the more he spends , The more it seems , he loues th' inuited friends . You do vs honor by this visitation , And make our State more stately by the same : Wee 'l honor you againe in selfesame fashion , So to corroborate your force , and fame ; And enuie grieue with our congratulation , Or make hir grone within our Angers flame : Be we stil enui'd , neuer pittied be , One comes of might , the other misery , And enui'd be wee shall , while wee agree . Thou Royall Seat of farre renowned Kings , ( Britaines great Monarks , Kings of great Britaine , Whose name from LVD , thy much-inlarger Springs ) Be braue , thy best friends now to intertaine : Make all thy Swannes on thy faire Thames to sing , No dying Songs , but songs that life sustaine : And in thy bright Streetes be such song , or sed , That make the dead , aliue : the liuing , dead . Thine out-side hang with costly cloath of State , And let thine insides be as faire , as fine : Thy sacred Head , which no head ere can rate , In an Emperiall Crowne ( past price ) confine : With all thine All , thine All Condecorate , That all may be in loue with thee , and thine : For , where Magnificence consorteth Loue , It Hatred makes Loues hottest passions proue . Ring Bels , sound Trumps , sweete Bone-fires make to burne With all that may delight , or Sight , or Sent : Raise shouts for ioy , while Spight therat doth moorne : And bend , with Loues good cheere , the backward bent : Let all from high'st to lowest , in their turne , Show some true token of a kinde intent : Loue can do all things : then , when all our loues Are ioyn'd in one , both Heauen , & Earth it moues . Top thy Church Battlements with Streamers white , To show thou peace enioy'st , and offrest peace To all that do in ciuill strife delight , If from Contention , they would so surcease ▪ " Sweete Loue to loue alures the bitter'st Spight : " And in the life of Vnion , Ods deceasse : O let no Dane haue cause to say , or thinke , We , at our ods , made their loues eyes to winke . Inuest thy Church-men in the Costliest Copes , Though bitter Zeale it stiles , Spots of the Beast : And in Procession let them goe by troopes , To sanctifie the ground by Heauen blest , ( Sith with our loues it doth increase our hopes ) That beares the Body of our Kingly Ghest : And if blinde Zeale doe call it Papistry , Say ( though it stab ) it tels an holy lye . O ZEALE , deere Vertue ! ( that deuour'st the Soules ( Yea Soules , and Bodies of true holy Ones ) How art thou now abus'd by busie fooles Vsing thy name to pull Kings from their Thrones , And in erecting of Scismatick Schooles , Whiles Charitie , to see thy damage , grones ? No erring Church misleads her Common-weale : But still it vndergoes the name of zeale . Throwe from thy face the Maske , which Fraud puts on ; They keepe not , but distaine thy beautie bright : For , on it onely shines Gods glorious Sonne , That makes the wrongest beautie , rightest right : Then , Masks do marre the sweete Complexion , That 's made by Iustice Sonnes adorning light : Be thou thy selfe then , and thou so wilt shine , That all the world , in loue , will straight be thine . Trans-Alpine Faith ( that Workes dost much embrace , ) Worke while thou wilt , so thy Workes show that Creed That sets foorth Faith : for Faith , too bare , is base : Yet , let no faire Worke prooue so fowle a Deede ( To blot thy Browe with such , too black , disgrace ) As , for thy health , to make the SACRED bleede : Win ( if thou canst ) by seasoning Plaints , and Teares , Not lose ( alas ) by powdring Prince , and Peeres . " Looke what thou wouldst bee done vnto , so do , " Is true Loues Law , which wee are tyde vnto . Loe , by the way ( prouoked by thy wrong ) From mine intention haue I thus digrest : And sharply warbled on it in my song , But yet ( I hope ) the relish likes the best : Now to thee LONDON , and thy louely Throng Will I returne : for in thee is my rest : Yet rest I in thee , restlesse , Idly too , Which being crosse , crosse Fortune makes me do . Bring out thy Tables to thy open Streetes : Be open handed , as th' art hearted now : In priuate eate no more thy daintie meates , But , with thy Company , thy Cates allow In Common , to the Danes , with kinde intreats , To make their hearts in kindnesse ouerflow : That by that inundation both may be , Floted to Heau'ns of earths felicitie . Bountie brings Honour , Honour blisse doth bring To those whome Honours holy hand doth blesse : Then , as thou would'st haue blisse , let euery thing Thou dost , of Bountie taste : yea , touch Excesse : There , hold thy hand , sith more grieues God and King , Who Bountie loues , yet hateth Riotousnesse : But yet when Bounti 's great by great Good-will , She is deliuerd of Aboundance still . Then let thy Conduits runne with rarest wines , That all may freely drinke all health to thee : And to those Kings , their Heires , and their Assignes , By whom thou art , or maist the better bee : Yet , O beware of Drunkards fowle designes , Take healthes , while thou from surfet maist be free : " For 't is no glorie , but a foule reproach , " To take ( like Tuns ) the wine that Shame doth broch : And , let thy Muses so in Pageants speake , That they may make the clamorous Crowde attend : Although their voice , through wants become so weake , That they may seeme to speake to little end : Sith the rude Multitude will silence breake , Though speake there may an Angell , or a Feind : Yet what they speake , in Print , in Print may be Conuai'd aloft , downe to Posteritie . Thy Senators ( in wel-beseene aray , With all the pompe that pow'r may well effect ) Make them , for these great Monarches , to make way Through thy choyce Streetes ( with gaudy glory deckt ) And let thy Denizens their parts so play , That forraine lookers on may it affect : In Summe , let some , and all of thee , and them , Resemble all in new Ierusalem . O! that my Muse were wing'd with Angels Plumes , That she might mount aboue the Roofe of Heauen , To viewe that glorie which no time consumes , It to relate , in sacred numbers euen , For thine example : that , as now , assumes But glories shape , by Arte , and Nature geu'n , I blessed were , and thou wert blest in mee , By whom thou shouldst beheauen all that see . But ah ( alas ) my short-wing'd Muse doth hant None but the obscure corners of the Earth , Where she with naught , but care , is conuersant : Which makes her curse her case , and ban her birth : Where she ( except she would turne ignorant ) Must liue , till die she must , in mournfull-mirth ; Which is the cherishing the World doth giue To those that muse to die , not muse to liue . Our Braines , wherein our Soules do exercize Their chiefest Functions , wonders to effect , If , while they worke , the thoughts of wants arise , The worke stands still : sith our Soules more respect The Bodies wants , still crying for Supplies , Then they doe Wits superfluous pompe affect ; Or , if they worke , and those wants cry out still , The worke is wondrous , but , it 's wondrous ill . For , when the Braines with crosse-Cares are distracted , ( They being the Instruments , Wit workes withall ) What Thoughts , by them , can possibly be acted But such as ( in Commotion ) rise , to fall ? For , then the thoughts are so , in Sydes , compacted , That they do runne aside in generall : Then , crosse World wonder not though Wit , in want , Be , in his largenesse ( like thy Largesse ) scant . This double-deskant single skill bewraies ; It s harsh , and most discordant to the Ground : And Poesie , on this Point , too often plaies , Aswell in This , as other Worlds around : For , Poets of all Times their Times dispraise ; But through the Times Sides , so , themselues they wound : And wounded so , ( sith so the Times they harme ) The Times forsake them , or them quite disarme . Well , be it so , ( though Well it cannot be That is so ill with those that meane but well ) A weake Pen holds the heauiest part of me ( Which is my heart ) from death ; and doth expell The cares that kill it , by sweet Poesie , Whereby , in griefe , it seemes in heau'n to dwell : Then , though it be a Portion for the poore : Let me be ritch in that , I seeke no more . And all my store ( though ritch beyond compare ) I would powre out , to bid you BIENVENV , Most welcome Danes : naie , I would nothing spare To entertaine my selfe ; but all for you Should out , as one that had no other care , But with full measure , to giue you your due : And if I did Hyperboles affect Art should discharge theyr MVCH on loues effect . Sith many welcomes may Suspect incurre , ( " For , fewest words the faithful'st friends do vse ) On welcomes Declaration to demurre More than I haue , I might my Wit abuse : Which held it meete my lynes should reach thus farre , To raise the Sprits of some more happie Muse : That may ( as Mistresse of Loues Complements ) Giue you your welcome to your hearts contents . Burnt Child doth feare aswell the Sparkes , as Flame : Your welcomes to our Wassels , and our Bordes Were heretofore ( as knowes the world ) to blame : But then ( perhaps ) yee were our heauie Lords ; And we no Scruple made of our defame , To ease ourselues , by double Deeds , and Words : But , now ye come , our Hearts to yours to binde , Your welcomes are as true , as you are kinde . True : for , your kindnesse now doth grace vs much : True : for , we Brethren are by our Queene Mother : True : sith in Loue and likenesse we are such , True : for , the ones case now becomes the other : True : for , you make our hollow friends to grutch : Though they ( dissemblingly ) the same do smother : And , in a word , true , for you graund our blisse : Then thinke your welcome kinde , as sure it is . While Seas , on either side , this Land shall bound Your comming thus , and welcome shall appeare : In faire eternall Lines which shall be found In our best Histories , and Poems cleere , The fame wherof through all worlds so shall sound , That it shall ring in Times eternall eare : Didoes deer welcoms to the Troian Knight , Shall , through this welcoms lustre , lose their light For , what made that in glory shine so long , But Poets Pens , pluckt from Archangels wings : And some we haue can sing as sweet a Song As any Tuskane , though with him he brings The Queen of Art , to right him , being wrong ; For , some can say their Muse was made for Kings : But , be it made for Kings , or Gods , or men , Soule-pleasing Helicon flowes from their Pen. And let none Tax them for this selfe conceite , Sith such conceite to euery Maker is Their Shade , which on their Substance still doth waite : Most Makers marre , yet make they none amisse : Because their words haue measure ( though not waight ) Which makes them meet , how euer meane , by this : Though some will say , ther 's more hope of a foole , Then of the self-conceited in each Schoole . But what is this to that we haue in hand ? How do these Strains concerne our welcome Ghests ? No whit ; but , hereby they may vnderstand That we haue Reeds , and Pipes , and Harpes , and Wrests To make them merrie , and their Eares command : As wel as those , to whose Notes listen beasts : By which we can so note their being here , That in Fames Book it euer shall appeare . In golden Capitalls all Times shall spell ( As they passe by ( in thought out-flying ) flight ) How we desire those swift wingd Times to tell The Danes , and ours made one vnited Might ; Vnited by a Match that made vs dwell In safetie , from the rage of worlds despight ; And how they came to vs , the same to show , That all the world might know it to be so . Then drop downe cleer gold from your Pens apace Ye braine-bred Goddesses most sacred Scribes ; I often ye inuoke to show your grace To glorifie our Soueraignes , and their Tribes : That now so heau'nlie make our earthly case , As scarse the perfectst Pen aright discribes : No moderne Muse had ere such cause to mount , Or line her head at Aganippaes Fount . On what poore Grounds did richest wits of yore Bestow such descant as men yet admire ? Naso , lou'd Nuts , and praised them therefore With Lines , wherein they burne in quenchlesse fire : Virgills proude Numbers did a Gnat adore : Homers , the fight of Frogges made to aspire : These were the Gods of Poesie , and yet They on these Plainesongs did rich descant set . Then , how may moderne Homers , and the rest , Vpon this Ground ( that of it selfe doth rise To roiall meetings of Kings highlie blest ) Make all their Straines rebound against the skies , Sending their Ecchoes so , from East to West With such an Accent shrill , as neuer dies : The skil's but base to Cynthia to aspire If he that mounts , be in the Spheare of fire . Then , ô how my dull Muse doth ( like a Swanne Which blushes at hir feet , though white she be ) Blush , sith her feet are Ethiopian Fowle , in the eies of twice faire Maiestie : For whose sake I this Balladrie began , Prouokt by ioy to see what now I see . But eache Epistle in each Pamphlets front , Can tell that Kings t' accept meane Guifts were wont . Yet least J should offend ( as well I may ) I write the lesse , the lesse so to offend : For , Breuitie doth Iudgement oft betraie : That weens that well done ' , roundly brought to end : Then , heere my creeking Pen I le force to staie , ( Though nere so forward ) till the same I mend : Which when I do , perhaps hereon I le write , That saddest Kings shall reade it with delight , FINIS .