As though no other place on Britain’s spacious earth Were worthy of his end, but where he had his birth: And careless ever since how she her course doth steer, This mutt’reth to herself, in wand’ring here and there: ‘Even in the aged’st face, where beauty once did dwell, ‘And nature (in the least) but seemed to excell, ‘Time cannot make such waste, but something will appear, ‘To shew some little tract of delicacy there, ‘Or some religious work, in building many a day, ‘That this penurious age hath suffer’d to decay; ‘Some limb or model dragg’d out of the ruinous mass, ‘The richness will declare in glory whilst it was: ‘But time upon my waste committed hath such theft, ‘That it of Arthur here scarce memory hath left.’ The Nine-ston’d trophy thus whilst she doth entertain, Proud Tamer swoops along with such a lusty train, As fits so brave a flood, two countries that divides: So to increase her strength, she from her equal sides, Receives their several rills; and of the Cornish kind, First taketh Atre in; and her not much behind Comes Kensey: after whom, clear Enjan in doth make, In Tamer’s roomthier banks, their rest that scarcely take. Then Lyner, tho’ the while aloof she seem’d to keep, Her sovereign when she sees t’ approach the surgeful deep, To beautify her fall, her plenteous tribute brings; This honours Tamer much, that she whose plenteous springs Those proud aspiring hills, Bromwelly and his friend High Rowtor, from their tops impartially commend, And is by[64] Carew’s muse the river most renown’d, Associate should her grace to the Devonian ground, Which in those other brooks doth emulation breed. Of which, first Car comes crown’d with ozier, segs and reed: Then Lid creeps on along, and taking Thrushel, throws Herself amongst the rocks; and so incavern’d goes, That of the blessed light (from other floods) debarr’d, To bellow underneath she only can be heard, As those that view her tract, seems strangely to affright: So Toovy straineth in; and Plym, that claims by right. The christning of that bay, which bears her nobler name. Upon the British coast[65] what ship yet ever came That not of Plymouth hears, where those brave navies lie, From cannons thund’ring throats that all the world defy? Which to invasive spoil, when th’ English list to draw, Have check’d Iberia’s pride, and held her oft in awe. Oft furnishing our dames with India’s rar’st devices, And lent us gold, and pearl, rich silks, and dainty spices. But Tamer takes the place, and all attend her here, A faithful bound to both; and two that be so near For likeliness of soil, and quantity they hold, Before the Roman came; whose people were of old Known by one general name, upon this point that dwell, All other of this isle in wrestling that excell: With collars be they yok’d to prove the arm at length, Like bulls set head to head, with meer deliver strength;