A Gentleman desirous to be vnknowne, yet a great Benefactor to Virginia, his loue to the Author, the Company, and History.
STay, reade, behold, skill, courage, knowledge, Arts;
Wonder of Nature: Mirror of our Clime.
Mars,
Vulcan, Neptune striue to haue their parts,
Rare Ornaments, rich honours of our time.
From far fetcht Indies, and Virginia's soyle,
Here Smith is come to shew his Art and skill:
He was the Smith that hammered famins foyle,
And on Powhatan's Emperour had his will.
Though first Colũbus, Indies true Christofer;
Cabots, braue Florida, much admirer;
Meta Incognita, rare Martin Frobisher;
Gilberts braue Humphery, Neptunes deuourer;
Captaine Amadis, Raleighs discouerer;
Sir Richard Grenvill, Zealands braue coaster:
Drake, doomes, drowne, death, Spaines scorner;
Gosnolds Relates, Pring prime observer.
Though these be gone, and left behinde a name,
Yet Smith is here to Anvile out a peece
To after Ages, and eternall Fame,
That we may haue the golden Iasons fleece.
He Vulcan like did forge a true Plantation,
And chain'd their Kings, to his immortall glory;
Restoring peace and plentie to the Nation,
Regaining honour to this worthy Story.
By him the Infidels had due correction,
He blew the bellowes still of peace and plentie:
He made the Indians bow vnto subiection,
And Planters ne're return'd to Albion empty.
The Colonies pin'd, staru'd, staring, bones so feeble,
By his braue proiects, proued strong againe:
The Souldiers 'lowance he did seeke to treble,
And made the Salvage in vncouth place remaine.
He left the Countrey in prosperous happie state,
And plenty stood with peace at each mans doore:
Regarding not the Salvage loue nor hate:
Thẽselues grew well, the Indiās wondrous poore.
This there he did and now is home return'd,
To shew vs all that never thither goe:
That in his heart, he deepely oft hath mourn'd,
Because the Action goeth on so slow.
Braue, graue, Wise, Rich, prize Benefactors,
Replant, want, continue still good Actors.
Be kinde, and finde, bring eyes to blind;
By Gods great might, giue Indians light.
Spend money, Bloud, to doe that good,
That may giue Indians heav'nly food.
And God no lesse, you still shall blesse;
Both you and yours the Lands possesse.
S. M.
See here behold as in a Glasse,
All that is, or is and was.
T. T. 1624.
Samuel Purchas of his friend Captaine Iohn Smith, and his Virginia.
LOe here SMITHS Forge, where Forgery's Roague-branded,
True Pegasus is shoo'd, fetters are forged
For Silke-sotts, Milk-sops, base Sloth, farre hence landed,
(Soile-chang'd,*Soule-soil'd still) Englands dregs, discharged,
To plant (supplant!) Virginia, home-disgorged:
Where vertues praise frames good men Stories armour
'Gainst Time, Achilles-like, with best Arts charged;
Pallas, all-arm'd, all-learn'd, can teach Sword-Grammer,
Can Pens of Pikes; Armes t'Arts; to Scholar, Souldier, hammer:
*Cœlum non animum mutant
Can Pilgrim make a Maker; all so well
Hath taught Smith scoure my rustie out-worne Muse,
And so coniur'd her in Virginian Cell,
That things vnlearned long by want of vse,
Shee fresh areeds me read, without abuse
By fabling. Arthurs great Acts little made
By greater lies she saith; seales Faith excuse
aT'Island, Groonland, Estotiland to wade
After lie-legends; Malgo, Brandon, are Wares braide.
a These are said a thousad yeares agoe to haue beene in the North parts of America.
The Fryer of Linneb frights her with his black Art;
Nor Brittish Bards can tell where Madocc planted.
Cabots, Thorns, Elyots truth haue wonne her heart,
Eldest discov'rers of New Worlds Cont'nent (granted
So had iust Fates.) Colon and Vespuce panted;
This got the named, last, least of Three; the Other
New Worlds Isles found first: Cabot is most chanted
In Three-Mens-song; did more New World discover
Then both, then any; an hundred degrees coasted over.
b He is said to discover the Pole 1360.
c Madoc ap Owon Planted some remote Westernparts. 1170.
d America named of Americus Vesputius, which discovered les
then Colon or Sir Sebastian Cabot, and the Continent
later. Colõ first found the Isles 1492. the Continent 1498. Aboue
a yeare after Cabot had don it. He was set forth by Henry 7 and
after by Hen. 8. Knighted, and made grand Pilot of Englãd by Ed.
6 Vnder whõ he procured the sending of Sir Hugh
Willoughby, & discovery of Greenland and Russia: having
by himself discovered on America frõ 67 North lat. to neere
40 South.
Haile Sir Sebastian, Englands Northern Pole,
Virginia's finder; Virgin Eliza nam'd it,
Gaue't Raleigh. (Rut, Prat, Hore, I not enrole)
Amadas rites to English right first fram'd it.
Lane planted, return'd, nor had English tam'd it:
Greenviles and Whites men all slaine; New Plantation
IAMES founds, Sloth confounds, feare, pride, faction sham'd it:
Smiths Forge mends all, makes chaines for Savage Nation,
Frees, feeds the rest; the rest reade in his Bookes Relation.
Thomas Macarnesse to his worthy friend and Countryman, Captaine Iohn Smith.
WHo loues to liue at home, yet looke abroad,
And know both passen and vnpassen road,
The prime Plantation of an vnknowne shore,
The men, the manners, fruitfulnesse, and store:
Read but this little Booke, and then confesse,
The lesse thou lik'st and lou'st, thou liu'st the lesse.
He writ it with great labour, for thy good,
Twice over, now in paper, 'fore in blood;
It cost him deare, both paines, without an ayme
Of private profit, for thy publicke gaine,
That thou mightst read and know and safely see,
What he by practice, thou by Theoree.
Commend him for his loyall loving heart,
Or else come mend him, and take thou his part.
To his friend Captaine Iohn Smith, and his Worke.
I Know not how Desert more great can rise,
Then out of Danger t'ane for good mens Good;
Nor who doth better winne th'Olympian prize,
Than he whose Countryes Honor stirres his bloud;
Private respects haue private expectation,
Publicke designes, should publish reputation.
This Gentleman whose Volumne heere is stoard
With strange discoverie of GODS strangest Creatures,
Giues vs full view, how he hath Sayl'd, and Oar'd,
And Marcht, full many myles, whose rough defeatures,
Hath beene as bold, as puissant, vp to binde
Their barbarous strength's, to follow him dog-linde.
But wit, nor valour, now adayes payes scores
For estimation; all goes now by wealth,
Or friends; tush! thrust the beggar out of dores
That is not Purse-lyn'd; those which liue by stealth
Shall haue their haunts; no matter what's the guest
In many places; monies well come best.
But those who well discerne, esteeme not so:
Nor I of thee braue Smith, that hast beat out
Thy Iron thus; though I but little know
To what t'hast seene; yet I in this am stout:
My thoughts, maps to my minde some accidents,
That makes mee see thy greater presidents.
Io: Done.
To my worthy friend Captaine Iohn Smith.
HOw great a part of knowledge had wee lost,
Both of Virginia and the Summer Isles,
Had not thy carefull diligence and cost
Inform'd vs thus, with thy industrious stile!
Like Cæsar now thou writ'st what thou hast done,
These acts, this Booke will liue while ther's a Sunne.
Edw: Worseley.
To his much respected Friend Captaine Iohn Smith.
ENvie avant. For Smith, whose Anvill was Experience,
Could take his heat, knew how and when to Strike,
Wrought well this Peece; till After-negligence
Mistaking temper, Cold, or Scorch'd; or like
Vnskilfull workmen, that can never Fyle
Nor Pollish it, that takes in Forge such toyle:
Heere Noble Smith, thou shewest the Temper true,
Which other Tampring-Tempres never knew.
Ro: Norton.
To his loving friend Captaine Iohn Smith.
VVHere actions speake the praises of a man,
There, Pennes that use to flatter silent be,
Or if they speake, it is to scorne or scanne;
For such with vertue seldome doe agree.
When I looke backe on all thy labours past,
Thy travels, perils, losses oft sustaind
By Sea and Land; and (which is worst and last)
Neglect or small reward, so dearely gaind.
I doe admire thy still vndanted spirit;
vnwearied yet to worke thy Countries good.
This be thy praise then, due vnto thy merit;
For it th'hast venter'd life; and lost thy blood.
| 1. | 2. | 3. | 1. | 2. | 3. | | Truth, | travayle, | and Neglect, | pure, | painefull, | most vnkinde, | | 1. | 2. | 3. | 1. | 2. | 3. | | Doth proue, | consume, | dismay, | the soule, | the corps, | the minde. |
Edw: Ingham.
To my deare friend by true Vertue ennobled Captaine Iohn Smith.
MOre then enough I cannot thee commend:
Whose both abilities and Loue doe tend
So to advance the good of that Estate,
By English charge, and Planters propagate
Through heapes of painfull hazards; in the first
Of which, that Colony thy Care hath nurst.
And often that effected but with ten
That after thee, and now, three hundred men
Haue faild in, 'mong the Salvages; who shake
At bruit of Thee, as Spaine at Name of Drake.
Which well appeares; considering the while
Thou governedst, nor force of theirs, ne guile
Lessend a man of thine; but since (I rue)
In Brittish blood they deeply did imbrue
Their Heathen hands. And (truth to say) we see,
Our selues wee lost, vntimely leaving Thee.
Nor yet perceiue I any got betweene
Thee and thy merit; which hath better beene
In prayse; or profit much; if counted iust;
Free from the Weales abuse, or wronged trust.
Some few particulars perhaps haue sped;
But wherein hath the Publicke prospered?
Or is there more of those Vast Countries knowne,
Then by thy Labours and Relations showne
First, best? And shall wee loue Thee now the lesse?
Farre be it! fit condignely to expresse
Thankes, by new Charge, or recompence; by whom,
Such past good hath, such future good may come.
David Wiffin.
Noble Captaine Smith, my worthy Friend
NOt like the Age wherein thou liu'st, to lie
Buried in basenesse, sloth, or Ribaldrie
(For most doe thus) hast thou thy selfe applide;
But, in faire Actions, Merits height descride:
Which (like foure Theaters to set thee forth)
The worlds foure Quarters testifie thy worth.
The last whereof (America) best showes
Thy paines, and prayse; and what to thee shee owes,
(Although thy Sommer shone on th'Elder Three,
In as great Deeds as great varietie)
For opening to Her Selfe Her Selfe, in Two*
Of Her large Members; Now Ours, to our view.
Thereby endearing vs to thy desart,
That doubly dost them to our hands impart;
There by thy Worke, Heere by thy Workes; By each
Maist thou Fames lasting Wreath (for guerdon) reach.
And so become, in after Times t'ensue,
A President for others, So to doe.
* Virginia novv inhabited, and New-England.
William Grent.
To his worthily affected Friend, Captaine Iohn Smith.
AMongst so many that by learned skill,
Haue given iust prayse to thee, and to thy Booke,
Deare friend receiue this pledge of my good will,
Whereon, if thou with acceptation looke,
And thinke it worthie, ranke amongst the rest:
Vse thy discretion, I haue done my best.
Aνωνυμoς. [Anonymous.]
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