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The second muse
21
All soyls should have, yet none brings all things forth,
Yea grounds most barren oft have greatest worth
Contained in their bowels: this to tell us,
Non omnia producit omnis tellus.
Hence comes that men their gold for yron change,
And so far from there native countries rainge,
Their softest silk for coursest canvasse give,
Because by commerce men do better live,
Then by such things their native grounds forth measure,
By traffike they do finde more gaine and pleasure:
Yea things more simple much more usefull are,
And for mans well more profitable far.
Thus yron serves for all brave arts, much more
Then gold, let Midas heap it up in store:
And canvasse serves for ventrous navigation,
Where silks are only for cloths green seek fashion,
And though wyne glad the heart, yet stirres it strife,
But graine the staffe is which sustaines our life:
So humane fellowship to intertaine,
Our fishes and our corners bring oile and wyne.
But above all our soile throughout all parts
Beares bravest Chiftans, with couragious hearts:[1]
These be the bar of conquest, and the wall,
Which our most hatefull foes could never scall.
Would you behold one Hanniball o'returne
Fourscore of thousands? looke to Bannokburne:
Or would you see Xerxes his overthrow
And flight by boat? Edward the second know:
Or Carthaginian towres with all their mights
Destroy'd? view Camelon with faithlesse Pights:
Yea grounds most barren oft have greatest worth
Contained in their bowels: this to tell us,
Non omnia producit omnis tellus.
Hence comes that men their gold for yron change,
And so far from there native countries rainge,
Their softest silk for coursest canvasse give,
Because by commerce men do better live,
Then by such things their native grounds forth measure,
By traffike they do finde more gaine and pleasure:
Yea things more simple much more usefull are,
And for mans well more profitable far.
Thus yron serves for all brave arts, much more
Then gold, let Midas heap it up in store:
And canvasse serves for ventrous navigation,
Where silks are only for cloths green seek fashion,
And though wyne glad the heart, yet stirres it strife,
But graine the staffe is which sustaines our life:
So humane fellowship to intertaine,
Our fishes and our corners bring oile and wyne.
But above all our soile throughout all parts
Beares bravest Chiftans, with couragious hearts:[1]
These be the bar of conquest, and the wall,
Which our most hatefull foes could never scall.
Would you behold one Hanniball o'returne
Fourscore of thousands? looke to Bannokburne:
Or would you see Xerxes his overthrow
And flight by boat? Edward the second know:
Or Carthaginian towres with all their mights
Destroy'd? view Camelon with faithlesse Pights:
Or
- ↑ Couragious worthies of Scotland.