ANNE BRADSTREET (1612-1672) (The text is taken from the edition by To her most Honoured Father THESE HUMBLY PRESENTED. Dear Sir of late delighted with the sight Of your four Sisters cloth'd' in black and white, Of fairer Dames the Sun, ne'r saw the face; Though made a pedestal for Adams Race; Their worth so shines in these rich lines you show Their paralels to finde I scarcely know To climbe their Climes, I have nor strength nor skill To mount so high requires an Eagles quill; Yet view thereof did cause my thoughts to soar; 9 My lowly pen might wait upon these four I bring my four times four, now meanly clad To do their homage, unto yours, full glad: Who for their Age, their worth and quality Might seem of yours to claim precedency: But by my humble hand, thus rudely pen'd They are, your bounden handmaids to attend These same are they, from whom we being have These are of all, the Life, the Nurse, the Grave, These are the hot, the cold, the moist, the dry, That sink, that swim, that fill, that upwards fly, 20 Of these consists our bodies, Cloathes and Food, The World, the useful, hurtful, and the good, Sweet harmony they keep, yet jar oft times Their discord doth appear, by these harsh rimes Yours did contest for wealth, for Arts, for Age, My first do shew their good, and then their rage. 1 Thomas Dudley was a man of considerable culture (See Appendix). The reference in the opening lines is to a supposed manuscript poem "On the Four Parts of the World" of which nothing further is known. 20 No Phoenix pen, nor Spencers poetry, No Speeds nor Cambdens2 learned History, Elizahs works, warrs, praise, can e're compact, The World's the Theatre where she did act. No memoryes nor volumes can contain The 'leven Olympiads of her happy reign: Who was so good, so just, so learn'd so wise, From all the Kings on earth she won the prize. Nor say I more then duly is her due, 30 Spains Monarch, sayes not so, nor yet his host: 1 "THE HISTORIE OF GREAT BRITAINE UNDER THE CONQUESTS OF THE ROMANS, SAXONS, DANES AND NORMANS. Their Originals, Manners, Habits, Warres, Coines, and Seales: with the Successions, Liues, Acts, and Issues of the English Monarchs, from Julius Cæsar, to our most gracious Soueraigne, King JAMES." "By JOHN SPEED." London, 1623. ANNALES RERUM ANGLICARUM ET HIBERNICAKUM, REGNANTE ELIZABETHA, Ad ANNUM SALUTIS M.D.LXXXIX. Guilielmo Camdeno Authore. Londini, M.DC. XV." "ANNALES OR, THE HISTORY OF THE MOST RENOWNED and Victorious Princesse ELIZABETH, Late Queen of England. Contayning all the Important and Remarkable Passages of State, both at Home and Abroad, during her Long and Prosperous Reigne. Written in Latin by the learned Mr. WILLIAM CAMDEN. Translated into English by R. N. Gent. Together with divers Additions of the Authors never before published. The third Edition." London, 1635. She their Protectrix was, they well do know Unto our dread Virago, what they owe. Her Nobles sacrific'd their noble blood, Nor men nor Coyn she spar'd to do them good. The rude untamed Irish, she did quel, Before her picture the proud Tyrone fell. Had ever Prince such Counsellours as she? Her self Minerva caus'd them so to be. Such Captains and such souldiers never Instead of glory, prov'd her Countryes shame: Of her what worth in Storyes to be seen, Whom none but great Aurelius could quel; To read what others write, and so admire. Now say, have women worth? or have they none? Or had they some, but with our Queen is't gone? Nay Masculines, you have thus taxt us long, But she, though dead, will vindicate our But when my wondring eyes and envious heart Great Bartas sugar'd lines, do but read o're Fool I do grudg the Muses did not part 3 II From school-boyes tongue no rhet❜rick we expect Nor yet a sweet Consort from broken strings, Nor perfect beauty, where's a main defect: 1 To the long poems The Four Elements, The Four Humours, The Four Ages, and The Four Seasons. |