A web-based edition of early seventeenth-century political poetry from manuscript sources. It brings into the public domain over 350 poems, many of which have never before been published.
L3 O Joyfull newse for Buckingham is nowe
Notes. This poem is one of three scribally-circulating translations of James I’s Latin Poem on Buckingham’s 1618-19 appointment as Lord Admiral, “Buckinghamus (Io) maris est praefectus et idem” (James VI and I 2.176). In the chosen source, the heading appears to have been cropped; however, a date, “December 1618”, survives. Like the other two translations—“Now let us rejoyce sing Peans all” and “Io to Buckingham great Admiral”—this verse alludes to the fact that Buckingham was already Master of the Horse (appointed 1616) at the time he was created Lord Admiral.
O Joyfull newse for Buckingham is nowe
both maister of the horse and frothie mayne
soe Neptune1 is to whome the Trytons2 blowe
both master of the horse, & wavie plaine3
to Jove4 the great thus earthly Kinges you see
5in goverment Joves mutators5 bee.
Noe sure this dubble office is but one
for as at spurres the horse doth rune apace
soe hoyse the seales6 the shippe is quicklye gonn
& ferret lyke performes a spedie race
10& as the Ryder by his awfull bitte7
commands the coursers8 motions at his will
soe doth the stereman at the Rudder sitte
& guide the shipp by Mathematicke skill
A horse is but a shipp on solydde grounde
15& beares his maister where he list him guide
A shippe is but a horse on seas profounde
her maister beringe where he makes her slyde
and thoughe that this a duble office bee
the Owners harte & tounge in one agree.
20Source. CCRO MS CR 63/2/19, fol. 18r
Other known sources. BL Add. MS 15227, fol. 2r
L3
1 Neptune: god of the sea. <back>
2 Trytons: mythic sea creatures whose trumpets calm the sea. <back>
3 both master...wavie plaine: Neptune was both god of the sea and god of horses—he was held to have created the first horse, for instance. <back>
4 Jove: king of the gods. <back>
5 mutators: probable scribal error; read “imitators”. <back>
6 hoyse the seales: i.e. hoist the sails. <back>
7 bitte: bit; “mouthpiece of a horse’s bridle” (OED). <back>
Web Marketing & Design
by FourSquare Innovations 
