The shire that London loves, shall only him prefer,
And give full many a gift to hold him near to her.
The Scheld, the goodly Mease, the rich and viny
Rhine,
[plain,
Shall come to meet the Thames in Neptune's wat'ry
And all the Belgian streams and neighbouring
Boods of Gaul,

Of him shall stand in awe, his tributaries all."
As of fair Isis thus the learned virgins spake,
A shrill and sudden bruit this prothalamion brake;
That White-borse, for the love she bare to her ally,
And honoured sister vale, the beauteous Aylsbury,
Sent presents to the Thame by Ock her only flood,
Which for his mother vale so much op greatness
stood.

From Oxford, Isis hastes more speedily, to see
That river like his birth might entertained be:
For that ambitious vale, still striving to command,
And using for her place continually to stand,
Proud White-horse to persuade, much business
there hath been
[queen.
Tacknowledge that great vale of Eushamn for her
And but that Eusham is so opulent and great,
That thereby she herself holds in the sovereign seat,
This White-horse all the vales of Britain would
o'erbear,

And absolutely sit in the imperial chair; [to feed,
And boasts as goodly herds, and numerous flocks
To have as soft a glebe, as good increase of seed;
As pure and fresh an air upon her face to flow,
As Eusham for her life: and from her steed doth
show,

Her lusty rising downs, as fair a prospect take
As that imperious wold': which her great queen
doth make

So wond'rously admir'd, and her so far extend. But to the marriage hence, industrious Muse, de

scend.

The Naiads and the nymphs extremely overjoy'd, And on the winding banks all busily employ'd, Upon this joyful day, some dainty chaplets twine: Some others chosen out, with fingers neat and fine, Brave anadems do make some baldrics up do bind : [assign'd; Some, garlands and to some the nosegays were But for that Thame As best their skill did serve.

8

should be

Still man-like as himself, therefore they will that he Should not be drest with flowers to gardens that belong

near.

Cotswold

gold,

Which though esteem'd but And for their scent not ill,

chuse.

[dainty hues, weeds, yet for their they for this purpose [Thame was drest, Thus having told you how the bridegroom I'll show you how the bride, fair Isis, they invest; Sitting to be attir'd under her bower of state, Which'scorns a meaner sort, than fits a princely In anadems for whom they curiously dispose [rate. The red, the dainty white, the goodly damask rose, For the rich ruby, pearl, and amethyst, men place In kings' imperial crowns, the circle that enchase. The brave carnation then, with sweet and sovereign power

(So of his colour call'd, although a July-flower) With th' other of his kind, the speckled and the pale :

[gale Then th' odoriferous pink, that sends forth such a Of sweetness; yet in scents as various as in sorts. The purple violet then, the pansy there supports: The marygold above t' adorn the arched bar: The double daisy, thrift, the button-batchelor, Sweet-william, sops-in-wine, the campion:

to these

and

Some lavender they put, with rosemary and bays: Sweet marjorain, with her like, sweet basil rare for smell,

[to tell : With many a flower, whose name were now too long And rarely with the rest, the goodly flower-de-lis. Thus for the nuptial hour, all fitted point-de

vice,

[bride, Whilst some still busied are in decking of the Some others were again as seriously employ'd In strewing of those herbs, at bridals us'd that be; Which every where they throw with bounteous hands and free. [do fly,

The healthful balm and mint, from their full laps
The scentful camomile, the verd'rous costmary ;
They hot muscado oft with milder maudlin cast;
Strong tansey, fennel cool, they prodigally waste:
Clear hyssop, and therewith the comfortable thyme,
Germander with the rest, each thing then in ber
prime;
[flower,

As well of wholesome herbs, as every pleasant
Which nature here produc'd, to fit this happy
hour.
[that grow,
Amongst these strewing kinds, some other wild
As burnet, all abroad, and meadow-wort they

throw.

Thus all things falling out to every one's desire, The ceremonies done that marriage doth require, The bride and bridegroom set, and serv'd with sundry cates,

And every other plac'd, as fitted their estates; Amongst this confluence great, wise Charwel here was thought [been taught The fitt'st to cheer the guests: who throughly had

? Margarita is both a pearl and a daisy.

towns

In all that could pertain to courtship, long agon, As coming from his sire, the fruitful Helidon 10, He travelleth to Thames; where passing by those [clowns, Of that rich country near, whereas the mirthful With tabor and the pipe, on holydays do use, Upon the May-pole green, to trample out their shoes: [rings, And having in his ears the deep and solemn Which sound him all the way, unto the learned springs 12, [meet, Where he, his sovereign Ouse most happily doth And him, the thrice three maids, Apollo's offspring, greet [grown With all their sacred gifts: thus, expert being In music; and besides, a curious maker known: This Charwel (as I said) the first these floods among, [sung: For silence having call'd, thus to th' assembly "Stand fast, ye higher hills; low vallies, easily And forests, that to both you equally apply [lie; (But for the greater part, both wild and barren be) Retire ye to your wastes; and rivers, only we, Oft meeting let us mix: and with delightful grace, Let every beauteous nymph her best-lov'd flood embrace,

An alien be he born, or near to her own spring, So from his native fount he bravely flourishing, Along the flow'ry fields licentiously do strain, Greeting each curled grove, and circling every plain;

Or hasting to his fall, his shoaly gravel scow'rs, And with his crystal front then courts the climbing tow'rs. [a name, "Let all the world be judge, what monntain hath Like that from whose proud foot there springs some flood of fame: [is set, And in the Earth's survey, what seat like that Whose streets some ample stream abundantly doth wet? [road, Where is there haven found, or harbour, like that lut' which some goodly flood his burthen doth unload? [foreign fraught By whose rank swelling stream the far-fetch'd May up to inland towns conveniently be brought. Of any part of Earth, we be the most renown'd; That countries very oft, nay, empires oft we bound. As Rubicon, much fain'd both for his fount and fall, The ancient limit held 'twixt Italy and Gaul 13. Europe and Asia keep on Tanaïs' either side. Such honour have we floods, the world (even) to divide. [by us; Nay, kingdoms thus we prove are christen'd oft Iberia takes her name of crystal Iberus. Such reverence to our kind the wiser ancients gave, As they suppos'd each flood a deity to have.

"But with our fame at home return we to proceed. [Tweed,

In Britain here we find, our Severn, and our The tripartited isle do generally divide, [her side. To England, Scotland, Wales, as each doth keep Trent cuts the land in two so equally, as though Nature it pointed out, to our great Brute to show

10 A hill betwixt Northamptonshire and Warwick, 11 Famous rings of bells in Oxfordshire called, the cross-ring. 12 Oxford. 13 That which was called Gallia Cisalpina, and is Lombardy, Romagnia, and the western part of Italy.

How to his mighty sons the island he might share. A thousand of this kind, and nearer, I will spare; Where, if the state of floods at large I list to show, I proudly could report how Pactolus doth throw Up grains of perfect gold; and of great Gangestell, Which when full India's showers enforceth him to swell, [shore: Gilds with his glistering sands the over-pamper'd How wealthy Tagus first, by tumbling down his ore,

The rude and slothful Moors of old Iberia taught
To search into those hills, from which such wealth
he brought.
[bring,
Beyond these, if I pleas'd, I to your praise could
In sacred Tempe, how (about the hoof-plough'd
spring)
The Heliconian maids, upon that hallowed ground,
Recounting heavenly hymns, eternally are crown'd.
And as the Earth doth us in her own bowels
nourish;
[flourish.

So every thing that grows by us, doth thrive and
To godly virtuous men, we wisely liken'd are:
To be so in themselves, that do not only care,
But by a sacred power, which goodness doth await,
Do make those virtuous too, that them associate."
By this, the wedding ends, and brake up all the

show:

[flow And Thames, got, born, and bred, immediately doth To Windsor-ward amain, (that with a wond'ring The forest might behold his awful empery) [eye, And soon becometh great, with waters wext so rank, That with his wealth he seems to retch his wid'ned bank : [grounds, Till happily attain'd his grandsire Chiltern's Who with his beechen wreaths this king of rivers [makes, Amongst his holts and hills, as on his way he At Reading once arriv'd, clear Kennet overtakes Her lord, the stately Thames, which that great flood again,

crowns.

With many signs of joy, doth kindly entertain. Then Loddon next comes in, contributing her store; As still we sce, the much runs ever to the more. Set out with all this pomp, when this imperial

stream

Himself establish'd sees amidst his wat'ry realm, His much-lov'd Henley leaves, and proudly doth pursue [view. His wood-nymph Windsor's seat, her lovely site to Whose most delightful face when once, the river

sees,

[trees, Which shows herself attir'd fh tall and stately He in such earnest love with amorous gestures wooes,

That looking still at her, his way was like to lose; And wanering in and out, so wildly seems to go, As headlong he himself into her lap would throw.

Him with the like desire the forest doth embrace, And with her presence strives her Thames as much to grace.

No forest, of them all, so fit as she doth stand,” When princes, for their sports, her pleasures will

command;

[seen, No wood-nymph as herself such troops hath ever Nor can such quarries boast as have in Windsor Nor any ever had so many solemn days, [been; So brave assemblies view'd, nor took so rich assays 16,

16 Breaking up of deer brought into the quarry.

she scorn'd.

spiring grass:

That where the ugly seal and porpoise us'd to play, The grass-hopper and ant now lord it all the day: Where now St. Alban's stands, was called Holm

hurst then;

Who, serving great men's turns, become the bawds

to sin." [delight, When Watling in his words that took but small Hearing the angry brook so cruelly to bite;

As one that fain would drive these fancies from his mind, [gentler kind. Quoth he, "I'll tell thee things that suit thy My song is of myself, and my three sister streets, Which way each of us run, where each her fellow meets,

Quoth Ver, "Ev'n for the sin of this accursed age. Behold that goodly fane, which ruin'd now doth

stand,

To holy Albion built, first martyr of the laud; Who in the faith of Christ from Rome to Britain came:

And dying in this place, resign'd his glorious name. In memory of whom, (as more than half divine) Our English Offa rear'd a rich and sumptuous shrine

And monastery here: which our succeeding kings From time to time endow'd with many goodly things,

[before And many a christian knight was buried here, The Norman set his foot upon this conquer'd shore; [stowrs, And after those brave spirits in all those baleful That with duke Robert' went against the pagan powers, [stood, And in their country's right at Cressy those that And that at Puicters bath'd their bilbows in French blood; [fought, Their valiant nephews next at Agincourt that Whereas rebellious France upon her knees was brought:

In this religious house, at some of their returns, When Nature claim'd her due, here plac'd their ha'low'd urns:

Which now devouring Time, in his so mighty waste,
Demolishing those walls, hath utterly defac'd.
So that the Earth to feel the ruinous heaps of
stones,

That with the burd'nous weight now press their sacred bones,

Forbids this wicked brood should by her fruits be

fed;

[bred." As loathing her own womb, that such loose children Herewith transported quite, to these exclaims he fell: [dare tell? “Lives no man, that this world her grievous crimes Where be those noble spirits for ancient things that stood?

When in my prime of youth I was a gallant flood; In those free golden days, it was the satyr's use To tax the guilty times, and rail upon abuse;

• Look before to the eleventh song.

* With the eldest son of the conqueror in the Holy Land.

[isle, That holds from shore to shore the length of all the From where rich Cornwal points to the Iberian

seas,

Till colder Cathness tells the scattered Orcades, I measuring but the breadth, that is not half bis gaet; [state, Yet, for that I am grac'd with goodly Londɔu's And Thames and Severn both since in my course I cross,

[Foss.

And in much greater trade, am worthier far than
But oh unhappy chance! through time's disastrous
Our other fellow streets lie utterly forgot: [lot,
As Icning, that set out from Yarmouth in the east,
By the Iceni then being generally possest,
Was of that people first term'd Icning in her race,
Upon the Chiltern' here that did my course em-
brace:

Into the dropping south and bearing then outright,
Upon the solent sea stopt on the isle of Wight.
"And Rickneld, forth that raught from Cam-
bria's farther shore, [promontore;
Where South Wales now shoots forth Saint David's
And, on his mid-way near, did me in England
meet;
[street
Then in his oblique course the lusty straggling
Soon overtook the Foss; and toward the fall of Tine,
Into the German sea dissolv'd at his decline.".
Here Watling would have ceas'd, his tale as
[would hold;
But now this flood, that fain the street in talk
Those ancient things to hear, which well old
Watling knew,

having told:

With these enticing words, her fairly forward drew, "Right noble street," quoth he, "thou hast liv'd long, gone far,

Much traffic had in peace, much travailed in war; And in thy larger course survey'st as sundry grounds [narrower bounds, (Where I poor flood am lock'd within these And like my ruin'd self these ruius only see, And there remains not one to pity them or me) On with thy former speech: I pray thee somewhat For, Watling, as thou art a military way, [say. Thy story of old streets likes me so wond'rous weli, That of the ancient folk I fain would hear thee tell." With these persuasive words, smooth Ver the Watling wan: [began: Stroking her dusty face, when thus the street

• Watling, chiefest of the four great ways. Not far from Dunstable.