A pæan triumphall Composed for the Societie of the Goldsmiths of London: congratulating his Highnes magnificent entring the citie. To the Maiestie of the King. / By Michael Drayton.

A Paean Triumphall . TO the vaste skies whilst shoutes and cries rebound , And buildings eccho with reuerberate sound , Strugling to thrust out of the peopled throng , Panting for breath flies our elaborate song . That time the day brake from her wonted guise , The Sunne in haste before his houre did rise , And draue the fleet-foote posting houres so fast , Which were afeard young Phaeton that was cast From his Siers Chariot , reobtain'd the Carre , To set the neighboring Elements at warre . But whilst sweete Zephyre gently spreads his wings , Curles the sleeke bosomes of th' enamoured springs . With Baulmie spices so perfumes each place , Breathing such odors in the mornings face , That the day seem'd all former daies to scorne , And ( to compare it ) euer should be borne . Saturne whose grim face clad in Icie haire , Thrust his bleake visage through the Northerne aire , That long had low'rd vpon the drouping spring , With Frosts , Hailes , Snowes and Tempests minacing , Suddenly calm'd , and his harsh rage resignes To smooth Fauonius and milde Libick windes , The south and southwest wind . Whil'st Temples stand euen trembling as afeard , To see proud Pageants on their Arches reard Aboue their Turrets , whilest the concourse meete , Like boysterous tides in euery publike streete . Windowes of eyes , the houses scorn'd their glasse , On euery side their Maiesties should passe : Roomes with rich beauties furnished about , Arras but serues to hang the walles without . Who lou'd in works of ancient times to prie , Hangings compleate with curious Imagrie , Glutting his eyes here liuely might behold , Faces whose numbers figures neuer told , Walling the houses , in whose seuerall eyes Ioye shewes it selfe in more varieties , Then be their mindes , the obiects that they see , Which are as various as their features bee . The hie-reard spires shake with the peoples crie , Bending their tops seeme wondring to espie Streets pau'd with heads , for such the numbers bee , The loftiest Tower no ground at all can see . Banners , Flags , Streamers , in such numbers borne , And stood so thick that one might soone haue sworne , Nature of late some noueltie had brought , Groaues leau'd with silke in curious manner wrought , Bearing such fruite th' Atlantides did keepe , The daughters of Atlas . By that fierce Dragon that did neuer sleepe . When now approched glorious Maiestie , Vnder a gold-wrought sumptuous Canopie . Before him went his goodly glittering traine , Which though as late wash'd in a golden raine . All so embraudered that to those behold , Horses as men , seem'd to be made of Gold : With the faire Prince , in whom appear'd in glory , As in th' abridgement of some famous story , Eu'ry rare vertue of each famous King Since Norman Williams happie conquering : Where might be seene in his fresh blooming hopes , Henry the fifth leading his warlike troupes , When the proud French fell on that conquered land , As the full Corne before the labourers hand . Vshering so bright and Angellike a Queene , Whose gallant carridge had but Cynthia seene , She might haue learnd her siluer brow to beare , And to haue shin'd and sparckl'd in her spheare , Leading her Ladies on their milkie Steedes , With such aspect that each beholder feedes , As though the lights and beauties of the skies , Transcending dwelt and twinckled in their eies . Here might you see what passion wonder wrought , As it inuades the temper of the thought : One weepes for ioy , he laughs and claps his hands , Another still and looking sadly stands : Others that seemed to be moued lesse , Shew'd more then these in action could expresse . None ther 's could iudge a witnesse of this sight , Whether of two did take the more delight , They that in triumph rode or they that stand , To view the pompe and glorie of the land , Each vnto other such reflection sent , Either so sumptuous , so magnificent : Nor are the duties that thy subiects owe , Only compriz'd in this externall show . For harts are heap'd with those innumered hoords , That tongues by vttrance cannot vent in words : Nor is it all Inuention here deuises , That thy hie worth and Maiestie comprizes , And we not last of those glad harts that proue , To shew our Soueraigne our vnspotted loue . The first a Maiors name worthely did grace , Iohn Stow Suruay . Marrying that title and Pretorian place , Was of our freedome , purchasing thereby That primate honor to our Liuery . Natiue our loue as needfull is our trade , By which no kingdome euer was decaide , To bring sleight gauds and womanish deuices , Of little vse and of excessiue prices , Good home-made things with trifles to suppresse , To feede luxurious riot , and excesse , Sound-Bullion is our subiect , whose sure rate Scal'd by his selfeworth , such the Goldsmiths state , Which peace and happie gouernment doth nourish , And with a kingdome doth both fade and florish . Natures perfection , that great wonder Gold , Of which the first note of our name we hold , Phoebus his God that triply doth implie , To medicen , Musicke , and sweete Poesie , To vs his hie diuinitie imparts , As he is knowne and glorified in Arts : For that inuention studie doth befit , That is the crowne and puritie of wit , What doth belong and 's proper to the muse , We of all other mysteries doe vse , Moulds and insculpturs framing by the head , Formes and proportions strangely varied . The lumpe as likes the workman best to frame , To wedge , to ingot , or what other name , That by the sight and knowledge of our trade , Into rich Plate , and Vtensils is made Within thy land , for ornament doth stay , Angels haue wings and fleeting still away , And by eschanging virtuously doth flie That cankerd , base , and idle Vsurie : For when the banck once subtilie is plac'd , Th' exacted vse comes hourely in so fast , That whil'st the lender on the borrower praies , Good and industrious facultie decaies . Foule Auarice that triple Dog of Hell , That when Ioues sonne emperiously did quell , And from his hand receiu'd that fatall wound , His poysoned foame he driu'ld on the ground , From which they say as in the earths despite , Did spring that black and poysoned Aconite : For they by fire that mettals vse to trie , And finde wise Natures secresies thereby , When they prepare industriously to shed Siluer , dispos'd adulteratly with lead , Proue this base Courser from the other fine , Being so cleere and aptly femenine , Steales from her purenes in his boystrous fixure , By the corruption of his earthly mixure , Which if Gold helping her infeebled might , As a kind brother in his sisters right , By him her spirit is perfect and compacted , Which that grosse body enuiously detracted . Conscience like Gold which Hell cannot intice , Nor winne from weake man by his auarice : Which if infus'd such vertue doth impart , As doth conforme and rectifie the hart . For as the Indians by experience know , That like a Tree it in the ground doth grow , And as it still approcheth to the day , His curled branches brauely doth display , Then in the bulke and body of the mine , More neat , contracted , rarifi'd , and fine : So truth from darknes spreading doth appeare , And shewes it selfe more luculent and cleere . Dunstan our Patron that religious man , In Cate●● Episcop●● ( That great and famous Metropolitan , That in his time ascended by degrees , To Worster , London , Canturburies Sees , That was in ancient Glastenbury bred , Foure Saxons raignes that liuing flourished , Whose deeds the world vnto this time containeth , And sainted in our Kalenders remaineth Gaue ) what not time our Brotherhood denies , Ancient endowments and immunities : And for our station and our generall heape , Recides in Lombard or in goodly Cheape . We haue an Adage which though very old , T is not the worse that it hath oft been told , ( Though the despising ancient things and holie , Too much betraies our ignorance and follie ) That England yeelds to goodly London this , That she her chiefe and soueraine Citie is : London will graunt her goodly Cheape the grace , To be her first and and absolutest place : ●are I proclaime then with a constant hand , Cheape is the Starre and Iewell of thy land . The Trophie that we reare vnto thy praise , This gold-drop'd Lawrell , this life-giuing bayes , No power lends immortalitie to men , Like the hie spirit of an industrious pen , Which stems times tumults with a full-spread saile , When proud reard piles and monuments doe faile , And in their cinders when great Courts doe lie , That shall confront and iustle with the skie : Liue euer mightie , happely , and long , Liuing admir'd , and dead be highly song . FINIS .