In Honour of that High and Mighty Princess, Queen Elizabeth Analysis

Proem.

1.1Although great Queen, thou now in silence lie,
1.2Yet thy loud Herald Fame, doth to the sky
1.3Thy wondrous worth proclaim, in every clime,
1.4And so has vow'd, whilst there is world or time.
1.5So great's thy glory, and thine excellence,
1.6The sound thereof raps every human sense
1.7That men account it no impiety
1.8To say thou wert a fleshly Deity.
1.9Thousands bring off'rings (though out of date)
1.10Thy world of honours to accumulate.
1.11'Mongst hundred Hecatombs of roaring Verse,
1.12'Mine bleating stands before thy royal Hearse.
1.13Thou never didst, nor canst thou now disdain,
1.14T' accept the tribute of a loyal Brain.
1.15Thy clemency did yerst esteem as much
1.16The acclamations of the poor, as rich,
1.17Which makes me deem, my rudeness is no wrong,
1.18Though I resound thy greatness 'mongst the throng.

The Poem.

2.1No Ph{oe}nix Pen, nor Spenser's Poetry,
2.2No Speed's, nor Camden's learned History;
2.3Eliza's works, wars, praise, can e're compact,
2.4The World's the Theater where she did act.
2.5No memories, nor volumes can contain,
2.6The nine Olymp'ades of her happy reign,
2.7Who was so good, so just, so learn'd, so wise,
2.8From all the Kings on earth she won the prize.
2.9Nor say I more than truly is her due.
2.10Millions will testify that this is true.
2.11She hath wip'd off th' aspersion of her Sex,
2.12That women wisdom lack to play the Rex.
2.13Spain's Monarch sa's not so, not yet his Host:
2.14She taught them better manners to their cost.
2.15The Salic Law had not in force now been,
2.16If France had ever hop'd for such a Queen.
2.17But can you Doctors now this point dispute,
2.18She's argument enough to make you mute,
2.19Since first the Sun did run, his ne'er runn'd race,
2.20And earth had twice a year, a new old face;
2.21Since time was time, and man unmanly man,
2.22Come shew me such a Ph{oe}nix if you can.
2.23Was ever people better rul'd than hers?
2.24Was ever Land more happy, freed from stirs?
2.25Did ever wealth in England so abound?
2.26Her Victories in foreign Coasts resound?
2.27Ships more invincible than Spain's, her foe
2.28She rack't, she sack'd, she sunk his Armadoe.
2.29Her stately Troops advanc'd to Lisbon's wall,
2.30Don Anthony in's right for to install.
2.31She frankly help'd Franks' (brave) distressed King,
2.32The States united now her fame do sing.
2.33She their Protectrix was, they well do know,
2.34Unto our dread Virago, what they owe.
2.35Her Nobles sacrific'd their noble blood,
2.36Nor men, nor coin she shap'd, to do them good.
2.37The rude untamed Irish she did quell,
2.38And Tiron bound, before her picture fell.
2.39Had ever Prince such Counsellors as she?
2.40Her self Minerva caus'd them so to be.
2.41Such Soldiers, and such Captains never seen,
2.42As were the subjects of our (Pallas) Queen:
2.43Her Sea-men through all straits the world did round,
2.44Terra incognitæ might know her sound.
2.45Her Drake came laded home with Spanish gold,
2.46Her Essex took Cadiz, their Herculean hold.
2.47But time would fail me, so my wit would too,
2.48To tell of half she did, or she could do.
2.49Semiramis to her is but obscure;
2.50More infamy than fame she did procure.
2.51She plac'd her glory but on Babel's walls,
2.52World's wonder for a time, but yet it falls.
2.53Fierce Tomris (Cirus' Heads-man, Sythians' Queen)
2.54Had put her Harness off, had she but seen
2.55Our Amazon i' th' Camp at Tilbury,
2.56(Judging all valour, and all Majesty)
2.57Within that Princess to have residence,
2.58And prostrate yielded to her Excellence.
2.59Dido first Foundress of proud Carthage walls
2.60(Who living consummates her Funerals),
2.61A great Eliza, but compar'd with ours,
2.62How vanisheth her glory, wealth, and powers.
2.63Proud profuse Cleopatra, whose wrong name,
2.64Instead of glory, prov'd her Country's shame:
2.65Of her what worth in Story's to be seen,
2.66But that she was a rich Ægyptian Queen.
2.67Zenobia, potent Empress of the East,
2.68And of all these without compare the best
2.69(Whom none but great Aurelius could quell)
2.70Yet for our Queen is no fit parallel:
2.71She was a Ph{oe}nix Queen, so shall she be,
2.72Her ashes not reviv'd more Ph{oe}nix she.
2.73Her personal perfections, who would tell,
2.74Must dip his Pen i' th' Heliconian Well,
2.75Which I may not, my pride doth but aspire
2.76To read what others write and then admire.
2.77Now say, have women worth, or have they none?
2.78Or had they some, but with our Queen is't gone?
2.79Nay Masculines, you have thus tax'd us long,
2.80But she, though dead, will vindicate our wrong.
2.81Let such as say our sex is void of reason
2.82Know 'tis a slander now, but once was treason.
2.83But happy England, which had such a Queen,
2.84O happy, happy, had those days still been,
2.85But happiness lies in a higher sphere.
2.86Then wonder not, Eliza moves not here.
2.87Full fraught with honour, riches, and with days,
2.88She set, she set, like Titan in his rays.
2.89No more shall rise or set such glorious Sun,
2.90Until the heaven's great revolution:
2.91If then new things, their old form must retain,
2.92Eliza shall rule Albian once again.

Her Epitaph.

3.1Here sleeps T H E Queen, this is the royal bed
3.2O' th' Damask Rose, sprung from the white and red,
3.3Whose sweet perfume fills the all-filling air,
3.4This Rose is withered, once so lovely fair:
3.5On neither tree did grow such Rose before,
3.6The greater was our gain, our loss the more.

Another.

4.1Here lies the pride of Queens, pattern of Kings:
4.2So blaze it fame, here's feathers for thy wings.
4.3Here lies the envy'd, yet unparallel'd Prince,
4.4Whose living virtues speak (though dead long since).
4.5If many worlds, as that fantastic framed,
4.6In every one, be her great glory famed.

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