Which as a man his arme or leg doth set,
    So this fond Bird will likewise counterfeit: 
    Thou art the Fowler, and doest shew vs shapes
    And we are all thy Zanies, thy true Apes. 10
    I saw this age (from what it was at first)
    Swolne, and so bigge, that it was like to burst,
    Growne so prodigious, so quite out of fashion,
    That who will thriue, must hazard his damnation: 
    Sweating in panges, sent such a horrid mist,
    As to dim heauen:  I looked for Antichrist
    Or some new set of Diuels to sway hell,
    Worser then those, that in the Chaos fell: 
    Wondring what fruit it to the world would bring,
    At length it brought forth this:  O most strange thing; 20
    And with sore throwes, for that the greatest head
    Euer is hard’st to be deliuered. 
    By thee wise Coryate we are taught to know,
    Great, with great men which is the way to grow. 
    For in a new straine thou com’st finely in,
    Making thy selfe like those thou mean’st to winne: 
    Greatnesse to me seem’d euer full of feare,
    Which thou found’st false at thy arriuing there,
    Of the Bermudas, the example such,
    Where not a ship vntill this time durst touch; 30
    Kep’t as suppos’d by hels infernall dogs,
    Our Fleet found their most honest wyld courteous hogs. 
    Liue vertuous Coryate, and for euer be
    Lik’d of such wise men, as are most like thee.

Explicit Michael Drayton.

Prefixed to William Browne’s Britannia’s Pastorals (1613).

To his Friend the AVTHOR.

    Driue forth thy Flocke, young Pastor, to that Plaine,
    Where our old Shepheards wont their flocks to feed;
    To those cleare walkes, where many a skilfull Swaine
    To’ards the calme eu’ning, tun’d his pleasant Reede,
    Those, to the Muses once so sacred, Downes,
    As no rude foote might there presume to stand: 
    (Now made the way of the vnworthiest Clownes,
    Dig’d and plow’d vp with each vnhallowed hand)
    If possible thou canst, redeeme those places,
    Where, by the brim of many a siluer Spring, 10
    The learned Maydens, and delightfull Graces
    Often haue sate to heare our Shepheards sing: 
    Where on those Pines the neighb’ring Groues among,
    (Now vtterly neglected in these dayes)
    Our Garlands, Pipes, and Cornamutes were hong
    The monuments of our deserued praise. 
    So may thy Sheepe like, so thy Lambes increase,
    And from the Wolfe feede euer safe and free! 
    So maist thou thriue, among the learned prease,
    As thou young Shepheard art belou’d of mee! 20

Prefixed to Chapman’s Translation of Hesiod’s Georgics (1618).