With flying keeles, plowe up the land with swordes ;
In Gods name venture on, and let me say
To you my mates, as Cæsar sayd to his,

Striving with Neptunes hills: you beare, quoth he,
Cæsar, and Cæsars fortune in your ships;

You follow them, whose swords successfull are,
You follow Drake by sea, the scourge of Spayne,
The dreadfull dragon, terror to your foes.
Victorious in his returne from Inde,
In all his high attempts unvanquished
You follow Noble Norrice, whose renowne
Wonne in the fertile fieldes of Belgia
Spreades by the gates of Europe to the courts
Of Christian Kings and Heathen Potentates.
You fight for Christ and Englands peereless Queene
Elizabeth, the wonder of the worlde,

Over whose throne th' enemies of God

Have thundred curst their vaine successes braves
O tenne times treble happy men, that fight
Under the Crosse of Christ and Englands Queene,
And follow such as Drake and Norris are:
All honours doo this cause accompanie,
All glory on these endlesse honours waite.
These honors and this glory shall he sende,
Whose honour, and whose glory you defende,

Yours,

G. P.

THOMAS

THOMAS GREENE.

I am induced to describe the following production of this author, because it has escaped the researches of Ritson, and because it celebrates the Naval Victorics of one of the most illustrious of our countrymen.

TITLE PAGE.

"THE TRUE AND PERFECTE NEWES of the woorthy and valiaunt Exploytes performed and doone by that valiant Knight, Syr Frauncis Drake, not onely at Sancto Domingo and Carthagena, but also nowe at Cales and uppon the Coast of Spayne. 1587.

Printed at London, by J. Charlewood, for Thomas Hackett."

It is dedicated "To the Right Honourable and hys singular good Lord George Clifford, Earle of Cumberland."

In the Introductory Address to the Reader, the author, speaking of the claims of his hero to honourable mention, has these singular expressions.

"At which time, heretofore, was there ever any English manne that did the like, as well for hys new navigation and long travel, and God be

praysed

praysed for hys good successe to the greate terror and feare of the enemie, he beeing a man of meane calling to deale with so mightię a monarke.

The Poem commences thus:

THE TRUE AND PERFECTE NEWES OF THE WORTHY AND VALIANT EXPLOYTES ATCHIVED AND DOONE BY THAT VALIANT KNIGHT, SIR FRAUNCIS DRAKE.

Tryumph, O England, and rejoyce,

And prayse thy God uncessantly,

For thys thy Queene, that pearle of choyce,
Which God doth blesse with victory,

In countryes strange, both farre and neere,
All raging foes her force doth feare,

Yee worthy wights that doo delighte,
To heare of novels straunge and rare,
What valours wonne by a famous Knight,
May please you marke, I shall declare.
Such rare exploytes performde and doone,
As none the like hath ever wone.

First call to mind how Gedeon,

But with these hundred fighting men,

The Medians hosts he overcame,
A thousand to eche one of them.
He did suppresse idolatry,
The Lord gave him the victory,

Josua, cap. 3

Se

So likewise by Gods mighty hande,
Syr Frauncis Drake, by dreadfull sworde,
Dyd foyle hys foes in forraine lande,
Which did contemne Christes holy word.

And many captives did sette free,
Which earst were long in misery,

Twenty five ships were then preparde,
Fifteen pinnasses brave and fine,
Well furnished for his safegarde,"
Preventing foes that would him tyné.
With masters good and marriners yare
As ever tooke charge I dare compare.

The best navigators in this lande,
Conferde with him unto thys ende,
By thys famous Knight to understande,
Theyr valors to atchieve and wende.
In countryes straunge beyond the sea,
If God permit, who can say nay.

SIR FRANCIS HUBERT.

THE name of this English Poet does not appear, either in the first or last edition of Phillips's Theatrum Poetarum, or in Ritson's Biographia Poetica. But the author of an Epic Poem, and that by no means contemptible in

As therefore troth in time shall crave,
So let this booke just favor have.

L. 3. Ed. 1.
Ed. 2.

L. 1. Ed. 1.
Ed. 2.

L. 4. Ed. 1.

Ed. 2.

L. 5. Ed. 1.

Ed. 2.

STANZA 2.

Such homely gift of your own man.
Such homelie gift of me your man.

STANZA 4.

So synce I was at Cambridge tought.
Since being once at Cambridge taught
A care I had to serve that way.
Such care I had to serve that way.
My joy gan slake then made I chaunge.
When joy gan slake then made I chaunge.
Expulsed myrth, &c.

1. 6. Ed. 1.

Ed. 2.

Expelled myrth, &c.

STANZA 5.

L. 5, 6. Ed. 1. And if I may my song avowe,

No man I crave to judge but you

Ed. 2. Which song if well I may avow,
I crave it judged be by you.

It will hardly be necessary to point out to the reader that the first eighteen lines are an Acrostic, and form the words THOMAS TUSSER MADE MË.

GEORGE