Here drawn to Land by Death, doth lie
  A Vessel fitter for the Skie,
  Than Jason’s Argo, though in Greece
  They say, it brought the Golden Fleece. 
  The skilful Pilot steered it so,
  Hither and thither, too and fro. 
  Through all the Seas of Poverty,
  Whether they far or near do lie,
  And fraught it so with all the wealth
  Of wit and learning, not by stealth,
  Or privacy, but perchance got
  That this whole lower World could not
  Richer Commodities, or more
  Afford to add unto his store. 
  To Heaven then with an intent
  Of new Discoveries, he went
  And left his Vessel here to rest,
  Till his return shall make it blest. 
    The Bill of Lading he that looks
    To know, may find it in his Books.

* * * * *

Mr. PHINEAS FLETCHER.

This learned person, Son and Brother to two ingenious Poets, himself the third, not second to either, was son to Giles Fletcher, Doctor in Law, and Embassadour from Queen Elizabeth to Theodor Juanowick Duke of Muscovia; who though a Tyranick Prince, whose will was his Law, yet setled with him very good Terms for our Merchants trading thither.  He was also brother to two worthy Poets, viz. George Fletcher, the Author of a Poem, entituled, Christs Victory and Triumph over and after Death; and Giles Fletcher, who wrote a worthy Poem, entituled, Christs Victory, made by him being but Batchelor of Arts, discovering the piety of a Saint, and divinity of a Doctor.  This our Phineus Fletcher was Fellow of Kings Colledge in Cambridge, and in Poetick fame exceeded his two Brothers, in that never enough to be celebrated Poem, entituled, The Purple Island, of which to give my Reader a taste (who perhaps hath never seen the Book) I shall here add two Stanza’s of it.

  Thrice happy was the worlds first infancy,
  Nor knowing yet, nor curious ill to know: 
  Joy without grief, love without jealousie: 
  None felt hard labour, or the sweating Plough: 
    The willing earth brought tribute to her King: 
    Bacchus unborn lay hidden in the cling
  Of big swollen Grapes; their drink was every silver spring.

And in another place, speaking of the vanity of ambitious Covetousness.

  Vain men, too fondly wise, who plough the Seas,
  With dangerous pains another earth to find: 
  Adding new Worlds to th’old, and scorning ease,
  The earths vast limits daily more unbind! 
    The aged World, though now it falling shows,
    And hasts to set, yet still in dying grows,
  Whole lives are spent to win, what one Deaths hour must lose.

Besides this Purple Island, he wrote divers Piscatorie Eclogues, and other Poetical Miscelanies, also a Piscatory Comedy called Sicelides, which was acted at Kings-Colledge in Cambridge.