mee By our great Merlin was it not fore-told Amongst his holy prophecies enrold When first he did of Tudors name diuine That Kings and Queenes should follow in our line And that the Helme the Tudors antient Crest Should with the golden Flower-delice be drest And that the Leeke our Countries chiefe renowne Should grow with Roses in the English Crowne As Charles faire daughter you the Lilly weare As Henries Queene the blushing Rose you beare By France's conquest and by Englands oth You are the true made dowager of both Both in your crowne both in your cheeke together Ioyne Tethers loue to yours and yours to Tether Then make no future doubts nor feare no hate When it so long hath beene fore-told by Fate And by the all-disposing doome of heauen Before our births vnto one bed were giuen No Pallas heere nor Iuno is at all When I to Venus giue the golden ball Nor when the Graecians wonder I enioy None in reuenge to kindle fire in Troy And haue not strange euents diuinde to vs That in our loue we should be prosperous When in your presence I was call'd to dance In lofty trickes whilst I my selfe aduance And in my turne my footing failde by hap Was 't not my chance to light into your lap Who would not iudge it Fortunes greatest grace Sith he must fall to fall in such a place His birth from heauen your Tudor not deriues Nor stands on tip-toes in superlatiues Although the enuious English do deuise A thousand ieasts of our hyperbolies Nor do I claime that plot by antient deedes Where Phoebus pastures his firie-breathing steedes Nor do I boast my god-made Grandsires scarres Nor Giants trophies in the Titans warres Nor faine my birth your princely eares to please By three nights getting as was Hercules Nor doe I forge my long descent to runne From aged Neptune or the glorious Sunne And yet in Wales with them most famous be Our learned Bards doe sing my pedigree And boast my birth from great Cadwallader From old Cair-septon in mount Palador And from Eneons line the South-wales king By Theâ—dor the Tuders name do bring My royall mothers princely stocke began From her great grandam faire Gwenellian By true descent from Leolin the great As well from North-wales as faire Powslands seat Though for our princely genealogie I doe not stand to make apologie Yet who with iudgements true vnpartiall eyes Shall looke from whence our name at first did rise Shall finde that Fortune is to vs in debt And why not Tuder as Plantaginet Nor that terme Croggen nicke-name of disgrace Vsde as a by-word now in euery place Shall blot our blood or wrong a Welchmans name Which was at first begot with Englands shame Our valiant swords our right did still maintaine Against that cruell prowde vsurping Dane And bucklde in so many dangerous fights With Norwayes Swethens and with Muscouits And kept our natiue language now thus long And to this day yet neuer changde our tong When they which now our Nation faine would tame Subdude haue lost their country and their name Nor neuer could the Saxons swords prouoke Our Brittaine neckes to beare their seruile yoke Where Cambrâ—aes pleasant Countries bounded bee With swelling Seuerne and the holy Dee And since great Brutus first arriu'd haue stood The onely remnant of the Trâ—â—an blood To euery man is not allotted chaunce To boast with Henry to haue conqueâ—d Fraunce Yet if my fortunes thus may raised be This may presage a farther good to me And our S. Dauid in the Brutaines right May ioyne with Grorge the sainted English knight And old Caer-marden Merlins famous towne Not scorn'd by London though of such renowne Ah would to God that houre my hopes attend Were with my wish brought to desired end Blame me not Madame though I thus desire When eies with enuie doe my hap admire Till now your beauty in nights bosome slept What eie durst stâ—â—re where awfull Henry kept Who durst attempt to saile but neere the bay Where that all-conquering great Alcides lay Thy beauty now is set a royall prize And Kings repaire to cheapen merchandize If thou but walke to take the breathing aire Orithia makes me that I Boreas feare If to the fire Ioue once in lightning came And faire Egina make me feare the flame If in the Sunne then sad suspition dreames Phoebus should spread Lucothoe in his beames If in a fountaine thou doost coole thy blood Neptune I feare which once came in a flood If with thy maides I dread Apolloes rape Who coosned Chion in an old wiues shape If thou doost banquet Bacchus makes me dread Who in a grape Erigone did feede And if my selfe the chamber doore should keepe Yet feare I Hermes comming in a sleepe Pardon sweete Queene if I offend in this In these delayes loue most impatient is And youth wants powre his hote splene to suppresse When Hope already banquets in excesse Though Henries fame in me you shall not finde Yet that which better shall content your minde But onely in the title of a King Was his aduantage in no other thing If in his loue more pleasure you did take Neuer let Queene trust Brittaine for my sake Yet iudge me not from modestie exempt That I another Phaetons charge attempt My minde that thus your fauours dare aspire Declare a temper of celestiall fire If loue a fault the more is Beauties blame When she her selfe is author of the same All men to some one qualitie incline Onely to loue is naturally mine Thou arte by Beauty famous as by birth Ordainde by heauen to cheere the drowping earth Adde faithfull loue vnto your greater state And then alike in all things fortunate A King might promise more I not deny But yet by heauen he lou'd not more than I. And thus I leaue till time my faith approue I cease to write but neuer cease to loue ¶ Notes of the Chronicle Historie And that the helme the Tudors ancient Crest THe armes of Tudor was the helmes of mens heads whereof he speaketh as a thing prophetically fore-told of Merlin When in thy presence I was call'd to daunce Owin Tudor being a courtly and actiue Gentleman commrunded once to daunce before the Queen in a turne not being able to recouer himselfe fell into her lappe as shee sate vpon a little stoole with many of her Ladies about her And yet with them in Wales most famous be Our learned Bards c. This Berdh as they call it in the Brittish tongue or as we more properly say Bard or Bardus be their Poets which keepe the records of Petigrees and discents and sing in odes and measures to the Harps after the old maner of the Lirick Poets And boast my blood from great Cadwallader Cadwallader the last king of the Britaines descended of the noble and ancient race of the Troyans to whom an Angell appeared commaunding him to goe to Rome to Pope Sergius where he ended his life Since faire Caer-Septon in mount
POEMS By Michaell Draiton Esquire N L LONDON Printed for N. Ling. 1605. The Arguments THe Barrons warres Englands Heroicall Epistles Idea The Legend of Robert Duke of Normandie The Legend of Matilda The Legend of Pierce Gaueston To Sir Walter Aston Knight of the honourable order of the Bath and my most worthy Patron I Will not striue m' invention to inforce With needlesse words your eyes to entertaine T' obserue the formall ordinarie course That euerie one so vulgarly doth faine Our interchanged and deliberate choise Is with more firme and true election sorted Then stands in censure of the common voice That with light humor fondly is transported Nor take I patterne of an others praise Then what my pen may constantly avow Nor walke more publique nor obscurer waies Then vertue bids and iudgement will allow So shall my loue and best endeuours serue you And still shall studie still so to deserue you Michaell Drayton To the Reader The Quadrin doth neuer double or to vâ—e a word of He raldrie neuer bringeth forth Gemells The Quiazain too soone The Sostin hath Twinnes in the base but they detaine not the Musicke nor the Cloze as Musitians terme it long enough for an Epicke Poeme The stanza of seauen is touched before This of eight both holds the tune cleane through to the base of the columne which is the couplet the foote or bottome and closeth not but with a full satisfaction to the care for so long detention Briefely this sort of stanza hath in it maiestie perfection and soliditie resembling the pillar which in Architecture is called the Tuscan whose shaft is of six diameters and bases of two The other reasons this place will not beare but generally all stanzas are in my opinion but tyrants and torturers when they make inuention they their number which sometime would otherwise scantle it selfe A fault that great Maisters in this Art striue to auoide Concerning the diuision which I vse in this Poeme I am not ignorant that antiquitie hath vsed to distinguish workes into Bookes and euery one to beare the number of their order Homers â—liads and Vlysiads indeede are distinguished by seuerall letters of the Greeke Alphabet as all the world knâ—wes and not by the numerall letters onely which to lotâ— are digit and afterward compound the Alpha being our vnite for the Greeks had no figures nor ciphers in their Arithmeticke Virgils Aeneis Statius Thebaâ—s Silius worke of the Carthaginian warre Illyricus Argonauticks Vidas Christeis are all diuided into books The Italians vse Cantos and so our first late great Reformer Master Spenser that I assume another name for the sections in this volume cannot be disgratious nor vnauowable Lastly if I haue not already exceeded the length of an Epistle I am to intreats that he who will as any man may that will make himselfe a partie to this of ours would be pleased to remember that Spartan Prince who being found by certaine Ambassadors playing among his children requested them to forbeare to censure till also they had some of their owne To such I giue as ample power and priuiledge as euer Ius libâ—rorum coulain Rome crauing backe againe at their hands by a regrant the like of that which I impart for great reason there is that they should vndergoe the licence which themselues challenge and suffer that in their fames which they would wrongly put vpon others according to the most indifferent law of the Talio Fare you well To M. Michaell Drayton WHat ornament might I deuise to fit Th' aspiring height of thy admired spirit Or what faire Garland worthy is to sit On thy blest browes that compasse in all merit Thou shalt not crowned be with common Bayes Because for thee it is a crowne too low Apolloes tree can yeeld thee simple praise It is too dull a vesture for thy brow But with a wreathe of starres shalt thou be crown'd VVhich when thy working temples do sustaine VVill like the Spheares be euer moouing round After the royall musicke of thy braine Thy skill doth equall Phoebus not thy birth He to heauen giues musicke thou to earth Thomas Greene. To M. Michaell Drayton THose painefull wits which natures depth admire And view the causes of vnconstant strife Doe tremble least the Vniuerse expire Through lasting iarres the enemies of life On earthly signes let not such Sages looke Nor on the cleere aspects of hopefull starres But learne the worlds continuance from thy booke which frames past natures force eternall warres wherein the Mases shewing perfect glory Adorne it so with gracefull harmonie That all the acts of this lamented story Seeme not perform'd for peoples libertie Nor through the awe of an imperious King But that thy verses their deepe wounds might sing Iohn Beaumont THE FIRST BOOKE of the Barrons warres The Argument The grieuous plagues and the prodigious signes That this great warre and slaughter doe foreshow Th' especiall cause the Baronage combines The Queenes strong griefe whence many troubles grow The time by course vnto our fallinclines And how each country doth to battell goe What cause to yeeld the Mortimers pretend And their commitment perfecting the end 1 THe bloodiefactions and rebellious pride Of a strong nation whose vnmanag'd might Them from their naturall Soueraigne did diuide Their due subiection and his lawfull right Whom their light error loosely doth misguide Vrg'd by lewd Minions tyrannous despight Me from soft layes and tender loues doth bring Of dreadfull fights and horred warres to sing 2 What hellish furie poysned your hie blood Or should bewitch you with accursed charmes That by pretending of the generall good Rashly extrudes you to tumultuous armes And from the safetie wherein late you stood Reâ—t of all taste and feeling of your harmes That France and Belgia with affrighted eyes Were sad beholders of your miseries 3 T 〈…〉 ueterate ranckor in their bosoms bred Who for their charter wag'd a former war Or through your veines this raging venom spred Whose next-succeeding Nephewes now you are Or that hote gore your bowes in conquest shed Hauing enlarg'd your Countries bounds so far Ensigne to ensigne furiously oppose With blades of Bilbo dealing English blowes 4 O thou the great director of my Muse On whose free bountie all my powers depend Into my breast a sacred fire infuse Rauish my spirit this great worke to attend Let the still night my laboured lines peruse That when my Poems gaine their wished end They whose sad eyes shall reade this tragique story In my weake hand shall see thy might and glory 5 What Care would plot Dissentions quickely crosse Which like an earthquake rends the tottering state By which abroade we beare a publique losse Betrayd at home by meanes of priuate hate Whilst vs those strange calamities doe tosse The daily nurse of mutinous debate Confusion still our countries peace confounds No helpe at hand and mortall all our wounds 6 Thou Church then swelling in thy mightinesse Tending the care and safetie of the soule
griefe she turnes away her face Iealous that he the waters should embrace 26 This angry Lyon hauing slipp'd his chaine As in a feuer makes King Edward quake Which knew too well ere he was caught againe Deere was the blood must serue his thirst to stake Many the labours had beene spent in vaine And he inforc'd a longer course to take Saw further vengeance hanging in the wind That knew the pride and greatnes of his mind 27 The faction working in this lingring jarrâ— How for the Scot free passage might be made To lay the ground of a succesfull warre That hope might breede fresh courage to inuade And whilst our safetie standeth out so farre More dangerous proiects eu'ry where are layd That some in hand home troubles to enure Others in France do forraigne broiles procure 28 By these discentions that were lately sowne Inciting Charles to open Armes againe Who seazing Guyne pretended as his owne That Edward should vnlawfully detaine Proceeds to make a further title knowne T' our Lands in Pontieu and in Aquitaine When wanted homage hath desolu'd the truce Waking his wrongs by Isabels abuse 29 This plot concluded that was long in hand Which to this issue prosperously had thriu'd The Base whereon a mightie frame must stand With mickle Art yet with more fcare contâ—iu'd So strongly builded by this factious band As from the same their safetie is deriu'd Till their full-rooted and inueterate hate Getting more strength might deepely penetrate 30 When choise of such to sway this French affaire Which as a sharpelesse and vnweldie masse Might well imploy the strength of all their care So hard and perlous to be brought to passe Which it behooues them quickly to prepare That being now so setled as it was Craues a graue spirit whose eminence and powre Might like a stiffe gale checke this threatning showre 31 This must a Session seriously debate That depth of iudgement crau'd to be discust That so concernes the safetie of the state And in a case so plausible and iust As might haue quench'd all sparckes of former hate 〈◊〉 〈…〉 ight be thought euen pollicie might trust Could enuy master her distracted will Or apprehend sacietie in ill 32 Tarleton whose tongue mens eares in chaines could tie And as a fearefull thunder-bolt could pierce In which there more authoritie did lie Then in the Sybils sage propheticke verse Whose sentence was so absolute and hie As had the power a iudgement to reuerse On the Queenes part with all his might doth stand To lay this charge on her well-guiding hand 33 What helpes her presence to the cause might bring Being a wife a sister and a mother And in so great and pertinent a thing To right her lonne her husband and her brother Her gratious helpe to all distributing To take of her what they should holde of other Which colour serues t' effect in these extreames That which God knowes King Edward neuer dreames 34 Torleten is this thy spirituall pretence Would God thy thoughts were more spirituall Or lesse perswasiue were thy eloquence But O! thy actions are too temporall Opinion lends too great preheminence Thy reasons subtile and sophisticall Would all were true thy supposition saith Thy arguments lesse force or thou more faith 35 These suddaine broiles that were begun of late Still kept in motion by their secret sleight By false suggestions so interminate That as a ballast of some solide weight Betwixt these aduerse currents of debate Kept their proceeding in a course so streight As lends the Queene an ampler colour still By generall meanes to worke a generall ill 36 She which thus fitly found both wind and tyde And sees her leisure serue the howre so neare All her endeuours mutually apply'd Whilst for her purpose things so fitly were And thus aduantage quickly had espy'd As one whose fortunes taught the worst to feare Seeing the times so variously inclinde And eu'ry toy soone altring Edwards minde 37 Her followers such as friendlesse else had stood Suncke and deiected by the Spensers pride Who bare the brands of treason in their blood Which but with blood there was no way to hide Whose meane was weake whose will was but too good Which to effect did but the howre abide And knew all meanes that mischiefe could inuent That any way might further her intent 38 Whilst Mortimer which now so long hath laine From our iust course by fortune lately crosst In Fraunce now strugling how he might regaine That which before he had in England lost All present meanes doth gladly entertaine No jote dismaide in all these tempests tosst Nor his great minde can thus be ouerthrowne All men his friends all countries are his owne 39 And Muse transported by thy former zeale Led in our progresse where his fortune lies To thy faire ayde I seriously appeale To sing this great man his magnanimous guise The auntient Heroes vnto me reueale whose worths may raise our nobler faculties That in my verse transparent nete and cleere His character more liuely may appeere 40 Such one he was of him we boldely say In whose rich soule all soueraigne powres did sute In whome in peace th' elements all lay So mixt as none could soueraignty impute As all did gouerne yet all did obey His liuely temper was so absolute That t'seemde when heauen his modell first began In him it shewd perfection in a man 41 So throughly seasond and so rightly set As in the leuell of cleere iudgements eye Time neuer tuch't him with deforming fret Nor had the powre to wrap him once awry Whose stedfast course no crosse could euer let His eleuation was so heauenly hie Those giddy tempests that the base world proue State vnder where he Planet like did moue 42 Which this faire Queene that had a knowing spirite And sawe the beauties resting in his minde One that had throughly lookt into his merit Aboue the value of the vulgar kinde That rightly did his Grandsires deedes inherit When now the ages in their course declinde when the old world being weake began to bow To th' effeminate basenes that it rests at now 43 What weighs he wealth or what his Wigmore left Let needlesse heapes things momentary stand He counts not his that can be rapde by theft Man is the sole Lord both of sea and land And still is rich of these that is not reft Who of all creatures hath an vpright hand And by the starres is onely taught to know That as they progresse heauen he earth should do 44 Wherefore wise Nature forcde this face of ground And through the deeps shewd him the secret way That in the flouds her iudgements might be found Where she for safety did her treasure lay Whose store that he might absolutely sound Shee gaue him courage for her onely kay That he alone of all her creatures free Her glory and her wondrous works should see 45 Let wretched worldlings sweate for mud and earth whose groueling bosomes licke the recreant stones And pesants
heare my prayre That Bullingbrooke now placde in Richards chaire Such cause of woe vnto their wiues may be As those rebellious Lords haue beene to me And that prowd Dame which now controlleth all And in her pompe triumpheth in my fall For her great Lord may water her sad eyne With as salt teares as I haue done for mine And mourne for Henry Hotspur her deere sonne As I for my sweete Mortimer haue done And as I am so succourlesse be sent Lastly to taste perpetuall banishment Then loose thy care where first thy crowne was lost Sell it so deerely for it deerely cost And sith they did of libertie depriue thee Burying thy hope let not thy care out-liue thee But hard God knowes with sorrow doth it goe When woe becomes a comforter to woe Yet much me thinkes of comfort I could say If from my hart pale feare were rid away Something there is which tells me still of woe But what it is that heauen aboue doth know Griefe to it selfe most dreadfull doth appeare And neuer yet was sorrow voide of feare But yet in death doth sorrow hope the best And with this farewell wish thee happy rest Notes of the Chronicle Historie If fatall Pomfret hath in former time POmfret Castle euer a fatall place to the Princes of England and most ominous to the blood of Plantaginet Oh how euen yet I hate these wretched eyes And in my glasse c. When Bullingbrooke returned to London from the West bringing Richard a prisoner with him the Queene who little knew of her husbands hard successe staid to behold his comming in little thinking to haue seene her husband thus ledde in triumph by his foe and now seeming to hate her eyes that so much had graced her mortall enemie Wherein great Norfolks forward course was staid She remembreth the meeting of two Dukes of Herford and Norfolke at Couentry vrging the iustnesse of Mowbrayes quarrell against the Duke of Herford and the faithfull assurance of his victorie O why did Charles relieue his needie state A vagabond c. Charles the French King her father receiued the Duke of Herford in his Court and releeued him in Fraunce being so neerely alied as Cosin german to king Richard his sonne in Law which he did simply little thinking that hee should after returne into England and dispossesse King Richard of the Crowne When thou to Ireland took'st thy last farewell King Richard made a voyage with his Armie into Ireland against Onell and Mackemur which rebelled at what time Henry entred here at home and robd him of all kingly dignitie Affirmde by Church-men which should beare no hate That Iohn of Gaunt was illegitâ—imate William Wickham in the great quarrell betwixt Iohn of Gaunt and the Clergy of meere spight and malice as it should seeme reported that the Queene confessed to him on her deathbed being then her Confessor that Iohn of Gaunt was the son of a Flemming and that shee was brought to bed of a woman childe at Gaunt which was smothered in the cradle by mischance that she obtained this childe of a poore woman making the king beleeue it was her owne greatly fearing his displeasure Fox eâ— Chron. Alban No bastards marke doth blot our conquering shield Shewing the true and indubitate birth of Richard his right vnto the Crowne of England as carrying the Armes without blot or difference Against their faith vnto the Crownes true heire Their noble kinsman c. Edmund Mortimer Earle of March sonne of Earle Roger Mortimer which was sonne to Lady Phillip daughter to Lionell Duke of Clarence the third sonne to King Edward the third which Edmund King Richard going into Ireland was proclaimed heire apparant to the Crowne whose Aunt called Ellinor this Lord Piercie had married O would Aumerle had suncke when he betrayd The complâ—t which that holy Abbot layd The Abbot of Westminster had plotted the death of King Henry to haue beene done at a Tilt at Oxford of which confederacie there was Iohn Holland Duke of Excester Thomas Holland Duke of Surrey the Duke of Aumerle Mountacute Earle of Salsbury Spenser Earle of Gloster the Bishop of Carlile Sir Thomas Blunt these all had bound themselues one to another by Indenture to performe it but were all betrayd by the Duke of Aumerle Scroope Greene and Bushie die his fault in graine Henry going towards the Castle of Flint where King Richard was caused Scroope Greene and Bushie to be executed at Bristow as vile persons which had seduced this King to this lasciuious and wicked life Damn'd be the oth he made at Doncaster After Henries exile at his returne into England he tooke his oth at Doncaster vpon the Sacrament not to claime the crowne or Kingdome of England but onely the Dukedome of Lancaster his owne proper right and the right of his wife And mourne for Henry Hotspur her deere sonne As I for my c. This was the braue couragious Henry Hotspur that obtained so many victories against the Scots which after falling out right with the curse of Queene Isabell was slaine by Henry at the battaile at Shrewsbury Richard the second to Queene Isabell WHat may my Queene but hope for froÌ„ that hand Vnfit to write vnskilfull to coÌ„mand A Kingdomes greatnesse hardly can he sway That wholesome counsaile neuer did obay Ill this rude hand did guide a Scepter then Worse now I feare me gouerneth a pen How shall I call my selfe or by what name To make thee know from whence these letters came Not from thy husband for my hatefull life Hath made thee widdow being yet a wife Nor from a King that title I haue lost Now of that name prowd Bullingbroke may boast What I haue beene doth but this comfort bring That no woe is to say I was a King This lawlesse life which first procurde my hate This tongue which then denounc'd my regall state This abiect minde that did consent vnto it This hand that was the instrument to doe it All these be witnesse that I doe denie All passed hopes all former soueraigntie Didst thou for my sake leaue thy fathers Court Thy famous Country and thy virgine port And vndertook'st to trauaile dangerous waies Driuen by aukward windes and boist'rous seas And left 's great Burbon for thy loue to mee Who su'd in marriage to be linck'd to thee Offring for dower the Countries neighbouring nie Of fruitfull Almaine and rich Burgundie Didst thou all this that England should receiue thee To miserable banishment to leaue thee And in my downefall and my fortunes wracke Forsaken thus to France to send thee backe When quiet sleepe the heauie hearts reliefe Hath rested sorrow somwhat lesned griefe My passed greatnes vnto minde I call And thinke this while I dreamed of my fall With this conceit my sorrowes I beguile That my faire Queene is but with-drawne a while And my attendants in some chamber by As in the height of my prosperitie Calling alowd and asking who is there The Eccho
allow I should not neede to feare it For then my true nobilitie should beare it If counsell ayde that Fraunce will tell I know Whose townes lie waste before the English foe When thrice we gaue the conquered French the foile At Agincourt at Crauant and Uernoile If faith auaile these armes did Henry hold To claime his crowne yet scarcely nine months old If countries care haue leaue to speake for me Gray haires in youth my witnes then may be If peoples tongues giue splendor to my fame They adde a title to duke Humfries name If toyle at home French treason English hate Shall tell my skill in managing the state If forraine trauell my successe may try In Flaunders Almaine Boheme Burgundy That robe of Rome prowd Benford now doth weare In euery place such sway should neuer beare The Crosier staffe in his imperious hand To be the Scepter that controules the land That home to England despensations drawes Which are of power to abrogate our lawes That for those summes the wealthy church should pay Vpon the needy Commontie to lay His ghostly counsells onely doe aduise The meanes how Langlies progenie may rise Pathing young Henries vnaduised waies A Duke of Yorke from Cambridge house to raise which after may our title vndermine Grafted since Edward in Gaunts famous line Vs of succession safely to depriue which they from Clarence fainedly deriue Knowing the will old Cambridge euer bore To eateh the wreathe that famous Henry wore With Gray and Scroope when first he laide the plot From vs and ours the gaâ—land to haue got As from the Match-borne Mortimer to raigne Whose title Glendour stoutly did maintaine When the prowde Percies haughty March and hee Had sharde the Land by equall partes in three His Priesthoode now sterne Mowbray doth restore To stirre the fire that kindled was before Against the Yorkists shall their claime aduance To steele the poynt of Norffolkes sturdie lance Vpon the breast of Herfords issue bent In iust reuenge of antient banishment He dooth aduise to let our prisâ—er goe And doth enlarge the faithlesse Scottish foe Giuing our heires in marriage that their dowres May bring inuasion vpon vs and ours Ambitious Suffolke so the helme doth guide With Benfords damned policies supplide He and the Queene in counsell still conferre How to raise him who hath aduanced her But my deere heart how vainely do I dreame And flie from thee whose sorrowes are my theame My loue to thee and England thus diuided With the most parte how hard to be decided Or thee or that to whether I am loath So neere are you so deere vnto me both Twixt that and thee for equall loue I finde England in gratefull and my Elnor kind But though my country iustly I reproue For countries sake vnkinde vnto my loue Yet is thy Humfrey to his Elnor now As when fresh beauty triumpht on thy brow As when thy graces I admired most Or of thy fauours might the frankli'st boast Those beauties were so infinite before That in abundance I was onely poore Of which though time hath taken some againe I aske no more but what doth yet remaine Be patient gentle heart in thy distresse Thou arte a Princesse not a whit lesse Whilst in these breasts we beare about this life I am thy husband and thou arte my wife Cast not thine eie on such as mounted be But looke on those cast downe as lowe as we For some of them which prowdly pearch so hie Ere long shall come as lowe as thou or I. They weepe for ioy and let vs laugh in woe We shall exchange when heauen will haue it so We mourne and they in after time may mourne Woe past may once laugh present woe to scorne And worse than hath beene we can neuer taste Worse cannot come than is already past In all extreames the onely depth of ill Is that which comforts the afflicted still Ah would to God thou wouldst thy griefes denie And on my backe let all the burthen lie Or if thou canst resigne make thine mine owne Both in one carrige to be vndergone Till we againe our former hopes recouer And prosp'rous times blow these misfortunes ouer For in the thought of those forepassed yeares Some new resemblance of old ioy appeares Mutuall our care so mutuall be our loue That our affliction neuer can remoue So rest in peace where peace hath hope to liue Wishing thee more than I my selfe can giue ¶ Notes of the Chronicle Historie At Agincourâ— at Grauant and Vernoyle THe three famous battels fought by the Englishmen in France Agincourt by Henry the fift against the whole power of France Crauant fought by Montacute Earle of Salisburie and the Duke of Burgoyne against the Dolphine of France William Stuart Constable of Scotland Vernoile fought by Iohn Duke of Bedford against the Duke of Alanson and with him most of the Nobilitie of France Duke Humfrey an Especiall Councellour in all these expeditions In Flaunders Almain Boheme Burgundie Here remembring the auncient amitie which in his ambassaes he concluded betwixt the King of England and Sigismund Emperour of Almaine drawing the Duke of Burgoyne into the same league giuing himselfe as an hostage for the duke of saint Omers while the Duke came to Calice to confirme the league With his many other imployments to forraine Kingdoms That crosier staffe in his imperious hand Henry Beuford Cardinall of Winchester that proud haughtie Prelate receyued his Cardinals hat at Calice by the Popes Legate which dignitie Henry the fift his nephew forbade him to take vpon him knowing his haughtie and malicious spirit vnfit for that robe and calling The meanes how Langleis progenie may rise As willing to shew the house of Cambridge to bee descended of Edmund Langley Duke of Yorke a yonger brother to Iohn of Gaunt his Grand-father as much as in him lay to smother the title that the Yorkists made to the crowne from Lionell of Clarence Gaunts elder brother by the daughter of Mortimer His priesthood now sterne Mowbray doth restore Nothing the ancient grudge betweene the house of Lancaster and Norffolke euer since Mowbray duke of Norffolke was banished for the accusation of Henry duke of Herford after the king of England father to duke Humfrey which accusation hee came as a Combatant to haue made good in the Lists at Couentry And giues our heires in marriage that their dowers Iames Stuart King of Scots hauing bin long prisoner in England was released and tooke to wife the daughter of Iohn duke of Somerset sister to Iohn duke of Somerset neece to the Cardinall and the duke of Excester and coosin germain remooued to the King this King broke the oath he had taken and became after a great enemie to England FINIS ¶ To my Honored Mistris Mistris Elizabeth Tanfield the sole daughter and heire of that famous and learned Lawyer Lawrence Tanfield Esquire FAire and vertuous Mistres since first it was my good fortune to bee a witnesse of the many
diet to bee kept whither came the Embassadours of the Empire Spaine Hungary Denmarke to entreate for a perpetuall peace to bee made betweene the two Kings of England and Fraunce By truo descent to weare the Diadem Of Naples Cicilie and Ierusalem Rainer Duke of Aniou father to Queene Margaret called him selfe King of Naples Cicily and Ierusalem hauing the title alone of King of those Countries A fifteene taxe in Fraunce I freely spent The Duke of Suffolke after the marriage concluded twixt King Henry and Margaret daughter to duke Rayner asked in open Parliament a whole fifteenth to fetch her into England Seene thee for England but imbarqu'd at Deepe Deepe is a towne in Fraunce bordering vpon the Sea where the Duke of Suffolke with Queene Margaret tooke shippe for England As when arriu'd in Porchester faire Roade Porchester a hauen towne in the South-west part of England where the King tarried expecting the Queenes arriuall whom from thence he conuayed to South-hamton Queene Margaret to VVilliam de-la-Poole Duke of Suffolke WHat newes sweet Pole look'st thou my liues shuld tell But like the tolling of the dolefull Bell Bidding the deaths-man to prepare the graue Expect from me no other newes to haue My brest which once was mirths imperiall throne A vast and desart wildernesse is growne Like that cold Region from the world remote On whose breeme seas the icie mountaines flote Where those poore creatures banisht from the light Do liue imprisond in continuall night No ioy presents my soules eternall eies But diuination of sad tragedies And Care takes vp her solitarie inne Where youth and ioy their court did once beginne As in September when our yeere resignes The glorious Sunne vnto the watrie signes Which through the clouds looks on the earth in scorn The little bird yet to salute the morne Vpon the naked branches sets her foote The leaues now lying on the mossie roote And there a seely chitipping dooth keepe As though she faine would sing yet fame would weep Praising faire summer that too soone is gone Or sad for winter too fast comming on In this strange plight I mourne for thy depart Because that weeping cannot ease my hart Now to our aide who stirs the neighbouring kings Or who from France a puissant armie brings Who moues the Norman to abet our warre Or stirs vp Burgoyne to ayde Lancaster Who in the North our lawfull claime commends To win vs credite with our valiant friends To whom shall I my secret griefe impart Whose breast I made the closet of my hart The ancient Heroes fame thou didst reuine And didst from them thy memorie deriue Nature by thee both gaue and taketh all Alone in Poole she was too prodigall Of so diuine and rich a temper wrought As heauen for him perfections deepe had sought VVell knew king Henry what he pleaded for when he chose thee to be his Orator VVhose Angell-eye by powerfull influence Doth vtter more than humane eloquence That when Ioue would his youthful sports haue tride But in thy shape himselfe would neuer hide which in his loue had bin of greater power Then was his Nymph his flame his swan his shower To that allegiance Yorke was bound by oath To Henries heires and safety of vs both No longer now he meanes record shall beare it He will dispence with heauen and will vnsweare it He that 's in all the worlds blacke sinnes forlorne Is carelesse now how oft he be forsworne And now of late his title hath set downe By which he make his claime vnto the Crowne And now I heare his hatefull duchesse chats And rips vp their descent vnto her brats And blesseth them as Englands lawfull heires And tells them that our diademe is theirs And if such hap her goddesse Fortune bring If three sonnes faile shee le make the fourth a King He that 's so like his Damme her yongest Dicke That foule il-fauored crooke backt stigmaticke That like a carcas stolne out of a tombe Came the wrong way out of hir mothers wombe with teeth in 's head his passage to haue torne As though begot an age ere he was borne Who now will curbe prowde Yorke when he shal rise Or armes out right against his enterprize To crop that bastard weede which daily growes To ouer-shadow our vermilian Rose Or who will muzzel that vnruly Beare Whose presence strikes our peoples harts with feare Whilst on his knees this wretched King is downe To saue them labour reaching at his Crowne Where like a mounting Cedar he should beare His plumed top aloft into the ayre And let these shrubs sit vnderneath his shrowdes Whilst in his armes he doth embrace the clowdes O that he should his fathers right inherite Yet be an alien to that mightie spirite How were those powers dispersde or whether gone Should sympathize in generation Or what apposed influence had force So much t' abuse and alter natures course All other creatures follow after kinde But man alone doth not beget the minde My Daisie-flower which erst perfumde the ayre Which for my fauours Princes once did weare Now in the dust lies troden on the ground And with Yorkes garlands euery one is crownd When now his rising waites on our decline And in our setting he beginnes to shine Now in the skies that dreadful Comet waues And who be starres but Warwickes bearded staues And all those knees which bended once so low Grow stiffe as though they had forgot to bow And none like them pursue me with despite Which most haue cride God saue Queene Margarite When fame shall brute thy banishment abroade The Yorkish faction then will lay on loade And when it comes once to our westerne coast O how that hag Dame Elinor will boast And labour strait by all the meanes she can To be calld home out of the I le of Man To which I know great Warwicke will consent To haue it done by act of Parlement That to my teeth my birth she may defie Slaundring duke Rayner with base beggerie The onely way she could deuise to grieue me wanting sweete Suffolke which shouldst most relieue me And from that stocke doth sprowt another bloome A Kentish rebell a base vpstart groome And this is he the white Rose must preferre By Clarence daughter matcht with Mortimer Thus by Yorkes meanes this rascall pesant Cade Must in all haste Plantaginet be made Thus that ambitious duke sets all on worke To sound what friends affect the claime of Yorke whilst he abroad doth practise to command And makes vs weake by strengthning Ireland More his owne power still seeking to increase Then for king Henries good or Englands peace Great Winchester vntimely is deceasde That more and more my woes should be increasde Beuford whose shoulders prowdly bare vp all The Churches prop that famous Cardinall The Commons bent to mischiefe neuer let with Fraunce t' vpbraid that valiant Sommerset Rayling in tumults on his souldiers losse Thus all goes backeward crosse comes after crosse And now of
strength and now his brightnesse loseth As well the best discerning eye may doubt Whether it yet be in or whether out Thus in my cheeke my diuers passions shew'd Now ashy pale and now againe it glow'd If in your verse there be a power to moue It 's you alone who are the cause I loue It 's you bewitch my bosome by mine eare Vnto that end I did not place you there Ayres to asswage the bloody souldiers minde Poore women we are naturally kinde Perhaps you 'le thinke that I these termes enforce For that in Court this kindenesse is of course Or that it is that honny-steeped gall We oft are said to bait our loues withall That in one eye we carry strong desire The other drops which quickly quench the fire Ah what so false can Enuy speake of vs But shall finde some too vainely credulous I do not so and to adde proofe thereto I loue in faith in faith sweete Lord I do Nor let the enuie of enuenom'd tongues Which still is grounded on poore Ladies wrongs Thy noble breast diasterly possesse By any doubt to make my loue the lesse My house from Florence I do not pretend Nor from Giraldi claime I to descend Nor hold those honours insufficient are That I receiue from Desmond or Kyldare Nor adde I greater worth vnto my blood Than Irish milke to giue me infant food Nor better ayre will euer boast to breathe Then that of Lemster Mounster or of Meathe Nor craue I other forraine farre alies Then Windsor or Fitz-geralds families It is enough to leaue vnto my heires If they will but acknowledge me for theires To what place euer did the Court remoue But that the howse giues matter to my loue At Windsor still I see thee sit and walke There mount thy Courser there deuise there talke The roabes the garter and the state of Kings Into my thoughts thy hoped greatnes brings Non such the name imports me thinks so much None such as thou nor as my Lord none such In Hamptons great magnificence I finde The liuely image of thy princely minde Faire Richmonds Towers like goodly pillars stand Rearde by the power of thy victorious hand White-halls triumphing galleries are yet Adornde with rich deuises of thy wit In Greenewich yet as in a glasse I view Where last thou badst thy Geraldine adiew VVith euery little gentle breath that blowes How are my thoughts confusde with ioyes woes As through a gate so through my longing eares Passe to my hart whole multitudes of feares O in a map that I might see thee show The place where now in danger thou doost goe VVhilst we discourse to trauaile with our eye Romania ruscaine and faire Lumbardy Or with thy pen exactly to set downe The modell of that Tempell or that Towne And to relate at large where thou hast beene And there and there and what thou there hast seene Or to describe by figure of thy hand There Naples lies and there doth Florence stand Or as the Grecians finger dip'd in wine Drawing a Riuer in a little line And with a drop a gulfe to figure out To modell Venice moted round about Then adding more to counterfet a Sea And draw the front of stately Genoa These from thy lips were like harmonious tones Which now do found like Mandrakes dreadful grones Some trauell hence t' enrich their mindes with skill Leaue heere their good and bring home others ill VVhich seeme to like all Countries but their owne Affecting most where they the least are knowne Their leg their thigh their back their neck their head As they had been in seuerall Countries bred In their attire their jesture and their gate Fond in each one in all Italionate So well in all deformitie in fashion Borrowing a limbe on euery seuerall Nation And nothing more then England hold in scorne So liue as strangers where as they were borne But thy returne in this I do not reede Thou art a perfect Gentleman indeede O God forbid that Howards noble line From ancient vertue should so farre decline The Muses traine whereof your selfe are chiefe Onely with me participate their griefe To sooth their humors I do lend them eares He giues a Poet that his verses heares Till thy returne by hope they onely liue Yet had they all they all avvay would giue The world and they so ill according be That wealth and Poets neuer can agree Few liue in Court that of their good haue care The Muses friends are euery where so rare Some praise thy worth that it did neuer know Onely because the better sort doe so Whose iudgement neuer further doth extend Then it doth please the greatest to commend So great an ill vpon desert doth chaunce When it doth passe by beastly ignoraunce Why arte thou slacke whilst no man puts his hand To raise the mount vvhere Surreys tovvers must stand Or who the groundsill of that worke doth lay Whilst like a wandrer thou abroade doost stray Clipt in the armes of some lasciuious dame When thou shouldst reare an â—â—on to thy name When shall the Muses by faire Norwhich dvvell To be the Cittie of the learned VVell Or Phoebus altars there with incense heapt As once in Cyrrha or in Thebe kept Or vvhen shall that faire hoofe-plowd spring distill From great mount Surrey out of Leonards hill Till thou returne the Court I will exchange For some poore cottage or some countrey Grange Where to our distaues as we sit and spin My maide and I will tell of things haue bin Our Lutes vnstrung shall hang vpon the wall Our lessons serue to wrap our Towe withall And passe the night whiles winter tales we tell Of many things that long ago befell Or tune such homely Carrols as were sung In Countrey sports when we our selues were yung In prettie Râ—ddles to bewray our loues In questions purpose or in drawing gloues The nob est spirits to vertue most inclind These heere in Court thy greatest want do find Other there be on which we feede our eye Like Arras worke or such like Imagerie Many of vs desire Queene Katherines state â—ut very few her vertues imitate Then as Vlyffes wife vvrite I to thee Make no reply but come thy selfe to me ¶ Notes of the Chronicle Historie Then Windsore or Fitzgeralds families THE cost of many Kings which from time to time haue adorned the Castle at Windsor with their princely magnificence â—atâ— made it more noble then that it need to hee spoken of now as though obscure and I hold it more meet to referre you to our 〈◊〉 monuments for the founders and finishers thereof then to meddle with matter nothing neere to the purpose As for the family of the Fitz-gerald of whence this excellent Lady was lineâ—lly discended the original was English though the branches did prâ—â—d themselues into distant places names nothing coÌ„sonant 〈◊〉 in former times it was vsual to denominate themselues of their â—nanours oâ—â—orenames as may partly appeare in that which enâ—uâ—th
smother Breaking for griefe ennying one another When the prowd Barke for ioy thy steps to feele Scornd the salt waues shuld kisse her furrowing keele And trick'd in all her flags her selfe she braues Capring for ioy vpon the siluer waues When like a Bull from the Phenician strand Ioue with Europa tripping from the land Vpon the bosome of the maine doth scud And with his swannish breast cleauing the floud Tow'rd the faire fields vpon the other side Beareth Agenors ioy Phâ—â—icias pride All heauenly beauties ioyne themselues in one To shew their glory in thine eye alone Which when it turneth that celestiall ball A thousand sweet starres rise a thousand fall Who iustly saith mine banishment to bee When onely France for my recourse is free To view the plaines where I haue seene so oft Englands victorious engines raisde aloft When this shall be my comfort in my way To see the place where I may boldly say Heere mighty Bedford forth the vaward led Heere Talbot charg'd and heere the Frenchmen fled Heere with our Archers valiant Scales did lie Heere stood the Tents of famous Willoughbie Heere Mountacute rangde his conquering band Heere forth we march'd and heere we made a stand What should we stand to mourne and grieue all day For that which time doth easily take away What fortune hurts let patience onely heale No wisedome with extreamities to deale To know our selues to come of humane birth These sad afflictions crosse vs heere on earth A taxe imposde by heauens eternall law To keepe our rude rebellious will in awe In vaine we prize that at so deere a rate Whose best assurance is a fickle state And needelesse we examine our intent When with preuention we cannot preuent When we ourselues fore-seeing cannot shun That which before with destinie doth run Henry hath power and may my life depose Mine honour mine that none hath power to lose Then be as cheerefull beauteous royall Queene As in the Court of France we erst haue beene As when arriu'd in Porchesters faire road Where for our comming Henry made aboad When in mine armes I brought thee safe to land And gaue my loue to Henries royall hand The happy howres we passed with the King At faire South-hampton long in banquetting With such content as lodg'd in Henries breast When he to London brought thee from the West Through golden Cheape when he in pompe did ride To Westminster to entertaine his Bride Notes of the Chronicle Historie Our Falcons kinde cannot the cage indure HE alludes in these verses to the Falcon which was the antient deuice of the Poles comparing the greatnesse and hawtinesse of his spirit to the nature of this bird This was the meane prowd Warwicke did inuent To my disgrace c. The Commons at this Parlement through Warwicks meanes accused Suffolke of treason and vrged the accusation so vehemently that the king was forced to exile him for fiue yeeres That onely I by yeelding vp of Maine Should be the losse of fertile Aquitaine The Duke of Suffolke being sent into France to conclude a peace chose Duke Rainers daughter the Lady Margaret whom he espoused for Henry the sixt deliuering for her to her father the Countries of Aniou and Maine and the Citty of Mauns Whereupon the Earle of Arminach whose daughter was before promised to the King seeing himselfe to bee deluded caused all the Englishmen to be expulsed Aquitino Gascoyne and Guyen With the base vulgar sort to win him same To be the heyre of good Duke Humfreys name This Richard that was called the great Earle of Warwicke when Duke Humfrey was dead grew into exceeding great fauour with the Commons With Salisburie his vile ambicious Sire In Yorks sterne breast kindling long hidden fire By Clarence title working to supplant The Eagle Ayrie of great Iohn of Gaunt Richard Plantagenet Duke of Yorke in the time of Henry the sixt claimed the Crowne being assisted by this Richard Neaâ—ll Earle of Salisburie and father to the great Earle of Warwicke who fauoured exceedingly the house of Yorke in open Parliament as heir to Lionell Duke of Clarence the third sonne of Edward the third making his title by Anne his Mother wife to Richard Earle of Cambridge sonne to Edmund of Langley Duke of Yorke which Anne was daughter to Roger Mortimer Earle of March which Roger was sonne heire to Edmund Mortimer that married the Ladie Philip daughter and heire to Lionell Duke of Clarence the third sonne of King Edward to whom the crowne after King Richard the seconds death linealy descended he dying without issue And not to the heires of the Duke of Lancaster that was yonger brother to the Duke of Clarence Hall cap. 1. Tit. Yor. Lanc. Vrg'd by these enuious Lords to spend their breath Calling reuenge on the Protectors death Humfrey Duke of Glocester Lord Protector in the 25. yeare of Henry the sixt by the meanes of the Queene and the Duke of Suffolke was arrested by the Lord Beumond at the Parliament holden at Berrie and the same night after murthered in his bed If they would know who robd him c. To this verse To know how Humfrey died and who shall raigne In these verses he iests at the Protectors wife who being accused conuicted of treason because with Iohn Hun a priest Roger Bullingbrooke a Negromancer Margery Iordan called the Witch of Eie she had consulted by sorcery to kil the king was adiudged to perpetuall prison in the I le of Man and to doe penance openly in three publique places in London For twentie yeares and haue I seru'd in Fraunce In the sixt yeare of Henry the sixt the Duke of Bedford being deceased then Lieutenant generall and Regent of Fraunce this Duke of Suffolke was promoted to that dignity hauing the Lord Talbot Lord Scales and the Lord Mountacute to assist him Against great Charles and bastard Orleance This was Charles the seauenth and after the death of Henry the fifth obtained the crowne of France and recouered againe much of that his father had lost Bastard Orleance was sonne to the Duke of Orleance begotten of the Lord Cawnies wife preferred highly to many notable offices because hee being a most valiant Captaine was continuall enemie to the Englishmen dayly infesting them with diuerse incursions And haue I seene Vernoyla's batfull fields Vernoyle is that noted place in Fraunce where the great battell was fought in the beginning of Henrie the sixt his raigne where the most of the French Chiualrie were ouercome by the Duke of Bedford And from Aumerle with-drew my warlike powers Aumerle is that strong defenced towne in France which the Duke of Suffolke got after 24. great assaults giuen vnto it And came my selfe in person first to Towers Th'Embassadours for truce to entertaine From Belgia Denmarke Hungary and Spaine Towers is a Cittie in France built by Brutus as hee came into Britaine where in the twentie and one yeare of the raigne of Henry the sixt was appoynted a great