In Praise of the Hemp-Seed
Tis paper (being printed) doth reveale
Th' Eternall testament of all our weale:
In paper is recorded the records
Of the Great all-Creating Lord of Lords.
Upon this weake ground, strongly is engran'd
The meanes how man was made, and lost, and sav'd,
Bookes Patriarchall, and Prophetical,
Historicall, or heav'nly Mystical,
Evangelicke, and Apostolical,
Writ in the sacred Text, in general.
Much hath the Church (our mother) propagated
By venerable Fathers workes translated
Saint Jerome, Gregory, Ambrose, Augustine,
Saint Basill, Bernard, Cyprian, Constantine:
Eusebius, Epiphanius, Origen,
Ignatius, and Lactantius (reverend men)
Good Luther, Calvine, learned Zwinglius,
Melancton, Beza, Oecolampadius,
These, and a world more then I can recite
Their labours would have slept in endlesse night,
But that in paper they preserv'd have bin
T' instruct us how to shun death, hell, and sin.
How should we know the change of monarchies,
Th' Assyrian, and the Persian Emperies,
Great Alexanders, large, smal lasting glory
Or Romes high Caesars often changing story?
How should Chronologies of Kings be knowne
Of either other countryes, or our owne?
But that Josephus, and Suetanius
Pollidore, Virgil, and Oretlius,
Seneca, and Cornelius Tacitus
With Scaliger, and Quintus Curtius;
Plutarch, Guichiardine, Gallobelgicus
Thomasio, and Hector Boetius;
Fox, Copper, Froysard, Grafton, Fabian,
Hall, Hove'den, Lanquet, Sleiden, Buchanan,
The Reverend learned Cambden, Selden, Stowe,
With Polychronicon, and Speed, and Howe,
With Parris, Malmsbury, and many more
Whose workes in paper are yet extant store.
Philemon Holland (famous for translation)
Hath (with our owne tongue) well inricht our nation.
Esope, and Aristotle, Pliny, Plato,
Pithagoras, and Cicero, and Cato,
Du Bartas, Ariosto, Martial, Tasso,
Plantus, and Homer, Terence, Virgill, Naso,
Fraunciscus Petrark, Horace, Juvenal,
Philosophers, and ex'lent Poets all.
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poem by John Taylor
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