The royall virgin, when as she did heare The wicked purpose of her treacherous foe, To shew how little she the same did feare, Pardon’d him in secret, that no peere might know His leaud intent, and so might worke him woe: O height of princely spirit, past humane sence! O mercie past compare, for such offence! 91. Yet this false wretch, in whose obdurate heart No loyall loue did dwell, persisted still In his blacke treason, and did vse all art Oft times with dagger, dag or any ill, T’effect the purpose of his bloodie will: Which once being brought to light for such offence, His grudging ghost with shame was posted hence. 92. Thus Rome’s blood-thirsting wolues with cruell pawes, Sought daily to deuoure our virgin lambe, And plunge poore England in death’s yawning iawes, Hiding for aye the glorie of her name, Rakte vp in cinders of a ruthlesse flame: Thereby t’extinguish that celestiall light, Which Rome’s red dragon did so sore affright. 93. They knew for certaine, while our glorious lampe, Our maiden queene did liue to lend vs light, She would disperse foule errors dismall dampe, Which suffocates the soule, and choakes the sight With fearefull shadowes of eternall night; Yea much they fear’d pure truth’s true light diuine, Which then in forren shores began to shine. 94. The sea-diuided seuenteene lands great nation, The Belgick borderers by the bankes of Rheine, Cast off Rome’s yoke, and left their blind deuotion, With one consent beginning to incline Vnto a truth more perfect, more diuine; Which they with martyr’d blood did long maintaine, Gainst th’inquisition of Rome-wronged Spaine. 95. But at the last, when with warre’s dreadfull thunder, _Don Iohn_ of Austria and his warlike band, Began to shake the Belgicke state in sunder, To tyrannize and bring them with strong hand Beneath the yoke of _Philip’s_ sterne command, The great _Eliza_ they did humblie craue, Their Belgick state from hostile spoile to saue. 96. The Briton maid, remorsefull of their woes, In their defence did lift her royall hand, Against the threats of their inuading foes, And sent in safe conduct a warlike band, With fame-grac’d _Norrice_ to the Belgicke strand; Which with his valiant crew he did maintaine, Against the incursions of the power of Spaine. 97. [Sidenote: _An. eodem._ _Drake’s_ voyage to Carthagena and Domingo.]