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 Speeds1 nor Cambdens 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 "ANNALES RERUM ANGLICARUM ET HIBERNICARUM, 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 As were the Subjects of our Pallas Queen. Her Sea-men through all straights the world, did round, Terra incognita might know the sound. Her Drake came laden home with Spanish gold: Her Essex took Cades, their Herculean Hold: But time would fail me, so my tongue would to, |