burnt they pluckt the Abbies downe Yet not content vs Nunnes they did annoy O cruell deed our belts they did vnbind With rapine they did rauish and destroy Deflowring all that euer they could find I seeing then what sorrow was assign'd To me and mine my vowed virgins I Did call then thus I spake with weeping eye Alas alas my louing Ladies all These hard mishaps do presse vs too too neere What shall we do how may we scape the thrall Which hath destroyd the Nunries euery where Alas my feeble flesh doth quake for feare Alas how shall we scape their cruelties Which thus be plaste amidst extremities For if we do their hatefull hests denie Then dreadfull death shall presentlie insue And if we grant vnto their villanie Our sinfull soules in hell that deed shall rue Beleeue me then my Ladies this is true Much better 't were for vs to die with fame Then long to liue with euerlasting shame And for because the faces forme doth moue With beauties beames and comely countenance The minde of man to lust and lawlesse loue I haue deuis'd my honour to aduance With face deform'd to try my hard mischance For these my hands from this my face shall rip Euen with this knife my nose and ouerlip They which will flie reprochfull infamie To do the like will them beseeme the best You shall preserue your vow'd virginitie Thereby and liue perhaps with quiet rest My daughters deare giue eare vnto my hest Wherewith with Rasors sharp I first then they Each one her nose and lip did flea away Whilst thus we liu'd deform'd to outward show Yet vessels garnisht gay before Gods sight The Danes did vs inuade who straight did know Our feate them to defeate of their delight For which they wrackt on vs their wicked spight With fiery flames they burnt our Nunnerie And vs therein O wretched crueltie The eare of man the like hath neuer heard No penne nor tongue the like hath euer told Had euer man a hart that was so hard That with his yron brest durst be so bold To do the like against the Femine kind Not one in faith that euer I could heare But these all void of mercy loue and feare Thus we content to leaue this present life In hope to haue hereafters better blesse Were brent and broild and so did stint the strife Which might haue made vs liue in wretchednesse We gainde therby a heauenly happinesse Which happinesse they doubtlesse shall obtaine Which do from sinne and wickednesse abstaine Thomas Blener Hasset HOW KING EGELRED FOR HIS WICKEDNESSE WAS diuersly distressed by the Danes and lastly died for sorrow Anno Dom. 1016. THe minde and not the Man doth make or marre For as the stearne doth guide the Argocy So by their mindes all men they guided are From out the mind proceedeth fantasie All outward acts vertue or vanitie Not from the man but from the minde proceede The mind doth make the man to do each deed For Phalaris with beastly bloudy mind And Nero did in murther much delight To mercy Antoninus was inclin'd Midas for gold extended all his might For worldly pompe how did Pompeius fight The mounting minde of Alexander made Him win the world his fame can neuer fade How did the minde moue Calicratides Xerxes Cyrus and Argantonius Philip of Macedon Theramines Aiax Iason and Aurelianus Achilles and the old king Priamus Hector and Hercules with false Sino Their minds did make them weaue the web of wo. The twig doth bend as Boreas blasts doe blow So man doth walke euen as his mind doth moue Then happie he who hath a mind to know Such things as be the best for his behoue No doubt the mind which vertuous acts doth loue Doth make a man euen Caesar to surpasse For noble deeds who Prince of prowesse was But he who hath his mind to mischiefe bent All his delight from vertue doth decline Like me too late he shall his faults repent His sinfull soule shall feele the fall in fine That I haue felt which makes me to repine Against my mind for Nature did her part My mind enclin'd to ill did spoile my hart What though I were of comely personage Iointly my ioints were ioin'd with perfect shape Adorned eke with so sweet a visage That neuer yet from Natures hands did scape A worke ymade of such a perfect shape But what of that these gifts for want of grace Deformed quite the feature of my face For why my mind to ruthfull ruine bent I did delight in lothsome lecherie I neuer did my odious deeds repent In drunkennesse in extreme crueltie I did delight in all impietie As for delight in princely exercise The feates of armes I did them most despise By meanes whereof my subiects did me hate And forraine foes to burne my Realme were bold With warre the Danes did alter straight the state First Fortune did my common-weale vnfold Then pestilence did make my courage cold And last of all my foes the dreadfull Danes Did make me pay them tribute for their paines Euen now the Realme of England did decay For when the Danes their tribute had consum'd Forthwith they made vs greater summes to pay From ten to fifteene thousand they presum'd Of pounds to make vs pay so I redeem'd With money bags my carefull common-wealth The onely meanes reserued for my health When thus the want of courage on my part Had giuen my foes so sure a footing here And when disease with her destroying dart Had wipte away my subiects euery where Euen then too late my wisemen did appeere Whom heretofore I alwayes did detest Their counsaile graue at last they thus exprest O Egelred the fruite of fearefulnesse Of riot thou the right reward dost reape But if thou wilt auoid this wretchednesse Be wise and looke about before you leape Of hatefull haps you see a hideous heape Before your face therefore in time giue eare And wisely waigh the words which thou shalt heare That noble Duke Richard of Normandy A Sister hath whom thee we wish to wed By meanes whereof from this captiuity We may be brought and that without bloodshed For why these Danes these Normans so do dread That if from thence an ayd we can procure Thy foes no doubt can neuer long indure The mayd she may a Princes fancie please Her brother is a man of great renowne This way O King may make thy subiects ease It may restore the freedome of thy Crowne This onely way will bring thy fomen downe If thou thy Crowne and common-weale dost loue Do thou the thing so much for thy behoue So by their meanes I maried the maid She Emma hight the floure of Normandie Of whom I was so glad and well apaid That all the world with my prosperitie Could not compare and in that iollitie I did deuise by traines of secret treason To bring the Danes to death in a good season I did a feast through all my Realme proclame At which both Danes and
died Slaine at Saint Albanes in his Princes aide Against the Duke my heart for malice fried So that I could from wrecke no way be stayed But to auenge my fathers death assay'd All meanes I might the Duke of Yorke t'annoy And all his kin and friends for to destroy This made me with my bloodie dagger wound His guiltlesse sonne that neuer ' gainst me stor'd His fathers bodie lying dead on ground To pierce with speare eke with my cruell sword To part his necke and with his head to bord Enuested with a royall paper crowne From place to place to beare it vp and downe But crueltie can neuer scape the scourge Of shame of horror or of sudden death Repentance selfe that other sinnes may purge Doth flie from this so sore the soule it slayeth Despaire dissolues the tyrants bitter breath For sudden vengeance suddenly alights On cruell deeds to quite their cruell spights This find I true for as I lay in stale To fight with this Duke Richards eldest son I was destroy'd not far from Dintingdale For as I would my gorget haue vndone T'euent the heat that had me nigh vndone An headlesse arrow strake me through the throte Where through my soule forsooke his filthie cote Was this a chance no sure Gods iust award Wherein due iustice plainly doth appeare An headlesse arrow paid me my reward For heading Richard lying on his beare And as I would his child in no wise heare So sudden death bereft my tongue the power To aske for pardon at my dying hower Wherefore good Baldwine warne the bloodie sort To leaue their wrath their rigour to refraine Tell cruell Iudges horror is the port Through which they saile to shame and sudden paine Hell halleth tyrants downe to death amaine Was neuer yet nor shall be cruell deed Left vnrewarded with as cruell meed THE INFAMOVS END OF THE LORD TIPTOFT EARLE OF WORcester for cruelly executing his Princes butcherly commandements Anno Dom. 1470. THe glorious man is not so loth to lurke As the infamous glad to lie vnknowen Which makes me Baldwine disallow thy worke Where Princes faults so openly be blowen I speake not this alonly for mine owne Which were my Princes if that they were any But for my Peeres in number very many Or might report vprightly vse her tongue It would lesse grieue vs to augment the matter But sure I am thou shalt be forst among To wrench the truth the liuing for to flatter And other whiles in points vnknowen to smatter For time nere was nor nere I thinke shall bee That truth vnshent should speake in all things free This doth appeare I dare say by my storie Which diuers writers diuersly declare But storie writers ought for neither glorie Feare nor fauour truth of things to spare But still it fares as alway it did fare Affections feare or doubts that daily brue Do cause that stories neuer can be true Vnfruitfull Fabian followed the face Of time and deedes but let the causes slip Which Hall hath added but with double grace For feare I thinke lest trouble might him trip For this or that saith he he felt the whip Thus story writers leaue the causes out Or so rehearse them as they were in dout But seing causes are the chiefest things That should be noted of the story writers That men may learne what ends all causes brings They be vnworthy name of Chroniclers That leaue them cleane out of their registers Or doubtfully report them for the fruite Of reading stories standeth in the suite And therefore Baldwine either speake vpright Of our affaires or touch them not at all As for my selfe I way all things so light That nought I passe how men report my fall The truth whereof yet plainly shew I shall That thou maist write and others thereby reed What things I did whereof they should take heed Thou heardst of Tiptofts Earles of Worcester I am that Lord that liu'd in Edwards daies The fourth and was his friend and counsailour And butcher too as common rumor saies But peoples voice is neither shame nor praise For whom they would aliue deuour today Tomorow dead they'ill worship what they may But though the peoples verdit go by chance Yet was there cause to call me as they did For I enforst by meane of gouernance Did execute what ere my King did bid From blame herein my selfe I cannot rid But sie vpon the wretched state that must Defame it selfe to serue the Princes lust The chiefest crime wherewith men doe me charge Is death of th' Earle of Desmunds noble sonnes Of which the Kings charge doth me cleere discharge By strait commandement and iniunctions Th' effect whereof so rigorously runnes That or I must procure to see them dead Or for contempt as guiltie lose my head What would mine foemen doe in such a case Obay the King or proper death procure They may well say their fancy for a face But life is sweet and loue hard to recure They would haue done as I did I am sure For seldom will a wealthy man at ease For others cause his Prince in ought displease How much lesse I which was Lieutenant than In th' Irish Isle preferred by the King But who for loue or dread of any man Consents t' accomplish any wicked thing Although chiefe fault thereof from other spring Shall not escape Gods vengeance for his deed Who scuseth none that dare do ill for dreed This in my King and me may well appeere Which for our faults did not escape the scourge For when we thought our state most sure and clere The wind of Warwicke blew vp such a sourge As from the Realme and Crowne the King did pourge And me both from mine office friends and wife From good report from honest death and life For th' Earle of Warwicke through a cancard grudge Which to King Edward causelesse he did beare Out of his Realme by force did make him trudge And set King Henry againe vpon his chaire And then all such as Edwards louers were As traytours tane were grieuously opprest But chiefly I because I lou'd him best And for my goods and liuings were not small The gapers for them bare the world in hand For ten yeares space that I was cause of all The executions done within the land For this did such as did not vnderstand Mine enmies drift thinke all reports were true And so did hate me worse then any Iew. For seldome shall a ruler lose his life Before false rumours openly be spread Whereby this prouerbe is as true as rife That rulers rumours hunt about a head Frowne Fortune once all good report is fled For present shew doth make the many blind And such as see dare not disclose their mind Through this was I King Edwards butcher named And bare the shame of all his cruell deeds I cleare me not I worthily was blamed Though force was such I must obey him needs With highest rulers seldome well it speeds For they be euer neerest to
to the morning mist And straight againe the teares how they down rold Alongst his cheekes as if the riuers hist Whose flowing streames ne were no sooner whist But to the stars such dreadfull shouts he sent As if the throne of mighty Ioue should rent And I the while with sprits welny bereft Beheld the plight and pangs that did him straine And how the bloud his deadly colour left And straight returnd with flaming red againe When suddenly amid his raging paine He gaue a sigh and with that sigh hee said Oh Banastaire and straight againe he staid Dead lay his corps as dead as any stone Till swelling sighs storming within his breast Vpraisd his head that downeward fell anon With lookes vpcast and sighs that neuer ceast Forth streamd the teares records of his vnrest When he with shrikes thus groueling on the ground Ybraied these words with shrill and dolefull sound Heauen and earth and ye eternall lamps That in the heauens wrapt will vs to rest Thou bright Phoebe that clearest the nights damps Witnesse the plaints that in these pangs opprest I wofull wretch vnlade out of my brest And let me yeeld my last words ere I part You you I call to record of my smart And thou Alecto feede mee with thy food Let fall thy serpents from thy snaky heare For such reliefe well fits mee in this mood To feede my plaint with horrour and with feare While rage afresh thy venomd worme areare And thou Sibylla when thou seest mee faint Addresse thy selfe the guide of my complaint And thou O Ioue that with the deepe fordoome Dost rule the earth and raigne aboue the skies That wreakest wrongs and giu'st the dreadful doome Against the wretch that doth thy name despise Receiue these words and wreake them in such wise As heauen and earth may witnesse and behold Thy heapes of wrath vpon this wretch vnfold Thou Banastaire gainst thee I clepe and call Vnto the Gods that they iust vengeance take On thee thy bloud thy stained stocke and all O Ioue to thee aboue the rest I make My humble plaint guide me that what I speake May be thy will vpon this wretch to fall On thee Banastaire wretch of wretches all O would to God the cruell dismal day That gaue me light first to behold thy face With foule eclipse had reft my sight away Th' vnhappy hower the time and eke the day The Sunne and Moone the Stars and all that was In their aspects helping in ought to thee The earth and aire and all accursed be And thou caitiffe that like a monster swarued From kind and kindnes hast thy master lorne Whom neither trueth nor trust wherein thou serued Ne his deserts could moue nor thy faith sworne How shall I curse but wish that thou vnborne Had beene or that the earth had rent in tway And swallowed thee in cradle as thou laie To this did I euen from thy tender youth Vouchsafe to bring thee vp did I herefore Beleeue the oth of thy vndoubted truth Aduance thee vp and trust thee euermore By trusting thee that I should die therfore O wretch and worse then wretch what shall I say But clepe and curse gainst thee and thine for aye Hated be thou disdaind of euery wight And pointed at where euer that thou goe A traiterous wretch vnworthy of the light Be thou esteemd and to encrease thy woe The sound be hatefull of thy name also And in this sort with shame and sharp reproch Lead thou thy life till greater griefe approch Dole and despaire let those be thy delight Wrapped in woes that cannot be vnfold To waile the day and weepe the weary night With rainy eine and sighes cannot be told And let no wight thy woe seeke to withhold But count thee worthy wretch of sorowes store That suffering much oughtst still to suffer more Deserue thou death yea be thou deem'd to die A shamefull death to end thy shamefull life A sight longed for ioifull to euery eye When thou shalt be arraigned as a theefe Standing at bar and pleading for thy life With trembling tongue in dread and dolours rage Lade with white lockes and fourscore yeares of age Yet shall not death deliuer thee so soone Out of thy woes so happy shalt not be But to th' eternall Ioue this is my boone That thou maist liue thine eldest sonne to see Reft of his wits and in a soule Bores stye To end his daies in rage and death distrest A worthy tombe where one of thine should rest Yet after this yet pray I more thou may Thy second sonne see drowned in a dike And in such sort to close his latter day As heard or seene erst hath not been the like Ystrangled in a puddle not so deepe As halfe a foot that such hard losse of life So cruelly chanst may be the greater griefe And not yet shall thy dolefull sorrowes cease Ioue shall not so withhold his wrath from thee But that thy plagues may more and more encrease Thou shalt still liue that thou thy selfe maist see Thy daughter strucken with the leprosie That she that erst was all thy whole delight Thou now maist loath to haue her come in sight And after that let shame and sorrowes griefe Feed forth thy yeares continually in woe That thou maist liue in death and die in life And in this sort forwaild and wearied so At last thy ghost to part thy bodie fro This pray I Ioue and with this latter breath Vengeance I aske vpon my cruell death This said he flung his retchlesse armes abroad And groueling flat vpon the ground he lay Which with his teeth he all to gnasht and gnaw'd Deepe grones he fet as he that would away But loe in vaine he did the death assay Although I thinke was neuer man that knew Such deadly paines where death did not ensue So stroue he thus a while as with the death Now pale as lead and cold as any stone Now still as calme now storming forth a breath Of smokie sighes as breath and all were gone But euery thing hath end so he anon Came to himselfe when with a sigh outbrayed With woefull cheere these woefull words he said Ah where am I what thing or whence is this Who rest my wits or how do I thus lie My limbes do quake my thought agasted is Why sigh I so or whereunto do I Thus groule on the ground and by and by Vprais'd he stood and with a sigh hath stai'd When to himselfe returned thus he said Sufficeth now this plaint and this regrete Whereof my heart his bottome hath vnfraught And of my death let Peeres and Princes were The worlds vntrust that they thereby be taught And in her wealth sith that such change is wrought Hope not too much but in the mids of all Thinke on my death and what may them befall So long as Fortune would permit the same I liu'd in rule and riches with the best And past my time in honor and in fame
Additions the falles of such Princes as were before omitted and my Poem or Hymne of the late dead Queene of famous memorie In all which I require no other gratification for my paines but a gentle censure of my imperfections THE CONTENTS of the booke HOw King Albanact the yongest sonne of Brutus and first King of Albanie now called Scotland was slaine by King Humber Pag. 1. 2 How Humber the King of Huns minding to conquer Britain was drowned in the arme of sea now called Humber 18. 3 How King Locrinus the eldest son of Brutus liued viciously and was slaine in battell by his wife Queene Guendoline 22. 4 How Queene Elstride the Concubine of King Locrinus was miserablie drowned by Queene Guendoline 27. 5 How the Ladie Sabrine daughter of King Locrinus and Elstride was drowned by Queene Guendoline 38. 6 How King Madan for his euill life was slaine by wolues 44. 7 How King Malin was slaine by his brother King Mempricius 47. 8 How King Mempricius giuen all to lust was deuoured by wolues 50. 9 How King Bladud taking on him to flie fell vpon the Temple of Apollo and brake his necke 53. 10 How Queene Cordila in despaire slew her selfe 59. 11 How King Morgan of Albany was slaine at Glamorgan in Wales 69. 12 How King Iago died of the Lethargie 72. 13 How King Forrex was slaine by his brother King Porrex 74. 14 How King Porrex which slew his brother was slaine by his owne mother and her maidens 78. 15 How King Pinnar was slaine in battell by Mulmucius Donwallo 80. 16 How King Stater was slaine in battell by Mulmucius Donwallo 82. 17 How King Rudacke of Wales was slaine in battell by Mulmucius Donwallo 83. 18 How the noble King Brennus after many triumphant victories at the siege of Delphos in Greece slew himselfe 86. 19 How King Kimarus was deuoured by wilde beasts 103. 20 How King Morindus was deuoured by a monster 106. 21 How King Emerianus for his tyrannie was deposed 110. 22 How King Cherinnus giuen to drunkennesse raigned but one yeare 111. 23 How King Varianus gaue himself to the lusts of the flesh 112. 24 How the worthie Britaine Duke Nennius encountred with Iulius Caesar and was vnfortunately slaine 114. 25 How the Lord Irenglas cosin to King Cassibellane was slaine by the Lord Elenine cosin to Androgeus Earle of London 123. 26 How Caius Iulius Caesar which first made this Realme tributorie to the Romans was slaine in the Senate house 129. 27 How Claudius Tiberius Nero Emperour of Rome was poisoned by Caius Caligula 139. 28 How Caius Caesar Caligula Emperour of Rome was slaine by Cherea and others 145. 29 How Guiderius King of Britaine the elder sonne of Cimbaline was slaine in battell by a Roman 146. 30 How Lelius Hamo the Romane Captaine was slaine after the slaughter of Guiderius 148. 31 How Claudius Tiberius Drusus Emperour of Rome was poisoned by his wife Agrippina 149. 32 How the Emperour Domitius Nero liued wickedly and tyrannously and in the end miserablie slew himselfe 152. 33 How Sergius Galba the Emperour of Rome giuen to slaughter ambition gluttony was slaine by the souldiers 155. 34 How the vicious Siluius Otho Emperour of Rome slew himselfe 157. 35 How Aulus Vitellius Emperour of Rome came to an vnfortunate end 159. 36 How Londricus the Pict was slaine by King Marius of Britaine 161. 37 How Seuerus the Emperour of Rome and Gouernour of Britaine was slaine at Yorke fighting against the Picts 163. 38 How Fulgentius a Scythian or Pict was slaine at the siege of Yorke 167. 39 How Geta the yonger sonne of the Emperour Seuerus once Gouernour of Britaine was slaine in his mothers armes by his brother Anthonie Emperour of Rome 170. 40 How Aurelius Antonius Bassianus Caracalla Emperour of Rome was slaine by one of his owne seruants 174. 41 How Carrassus a Husbandmans son and after King of Britaine was slaine in battell by Alectus a Romane 185. 42 How Queene Helena of Britaine maried Constantius the Emperour and much aduanced the Christian faith through the whole world 289. 43 How Vortiger destroyed the yong King Constantine and how he obtained the crowne how after many miseries he was miserablie burnt in his Castle by the brethren of Constantine 203. 44 How Vter Pendragon was inamoured on the wife of Gorolus Duke of Cornewal whom he slew and after was poysoned by the Saxons 213. 45 How Cadwallader the last King of the Britaines was expelled by the Saxons went to Rome and there liued in a religious house 219. 46 How Sigebert for his wicked life was thrust from his throne and miserablie slaine by an heardsman 225. 47 How Ladie Ebbe did flea her nose and vpper lip away to saue her virginitie 235. 48 How King Egelred for his wickednes was diuersly distressed by the Danes and lastly died for sorrow 239. 49 How King Harrold had continuall warre with the Danes with the Norway King with his brother Tostius and was at last slaine in battell by William the Conquerour 245. From the Conquest 50 M. Sackuils Induction 255. 51 How the two Rogers surnamed Mortimers for their sundrie vices ended their liues vnfortunately 271. 52 The fall of Robert Tresillian Chiefe Iustice of England and other his fellowes for misconstruing the Lawes and expounding them to serue the Princes affections 276. 53 How Sir Thomas of Woodstocke Duke of Glocester vncle to King Richard the second was vnlawfully murthered 281. 54 How the Lord Mowbrey promoted by King Richard the second to the state of a Duke was by him banished the Realme and after died miserablie in exile 287. 55 How King Richard the second was for his euill gouernance deposed from his seat and murthered in prison 293. 56 How Owen Glendour seduced by false prophesies tooke vpon him to be Prince of Wales and was by Henrie Prince of England chased to the mountaines where he miserablie died for lacke of food 296. 57 How Henrie Percie Earle of Northumberland was for his couetous and trayterous attempt put to death at Yorke 303. 58 How Richard Plantagenet Earle of Cambridge intending the Kings destruction was put to death at Southhampton 307. 59 How Thomas Montague Earle of Salisburie in the middest of his glory was vnfortunately slaine at Oleance with a peece of Ordnance 309. 60 How Dame Eleanor Cobham Duchesse of Glocester for practising of Witchcraft and sorcerie Suffered open penance and afterward was banished the Realme into the I le of Man 317. 61 How Humfrey Plantagenet Duke of Glocester Protector of England during the minoritie of his nephew King Henrie the sixt commonly called the good Duke by practise of enemies was brought to confusion 327. 62 How Lord William de la Pole Duke of Suffolke was worthily banished for abusing his King and causing the destruction of the good Duke Humfrey 340. 63 How Iack Cade naming himselfe Mortimer trayterously rebelling against his King was for his treasons and cruell doings worthily punished 345. 64 The tragedie
with my boats they rowde to me alas And all they cri'd keep Humber keepe their King That to our Prince we may the traytor bring So with my boats beset poore Humber I Wist no refuge my wearie armes did ake My breath was short I had no power to crie Or place to stand while I my plaint might make The water colde made all my ioynts to shake My heart did beat with sorow griefe and paine And downe my cheeks salt tears they gusht amain O must thou yeeld and shall thy boats betray Thy selfe quoth I no mercie Britans haue O would to God I might escape away I wot not yet if pardon I may craue Although my deeds deserue no life to haue I will I nill death bondage beast am I In waters thus in forren soile to die With that I clapt my quauering hands abroad And held them vp to heauen and thus I said O Gods that know the paines that I haue bode And iust reuengement of my rashnes paid And of the death of Albanact betraid By me and mine I yeeld my life therefore Content to die and neuer greeue yee more Then straight not opening of my hands I bowde My selfe and set my head my armes betweene And downe I sprang with all the force I could So duckt that neither head nor foot were seene And neuer saw my foes againe I weene There was I drown'd the Britans to my fame Yet call that arme of sea by Humbers name Take heed by me let my presumption serue And let my folly fall and rashnesse be A glasse wherein to see if thou do swerue Thou mai'st thy selfe perceiue somewhat by me Let neither trust nor treason traine forth ye But be content with thine estate so shall No wrath of God procure thy haplesse fall If thou be forren bide within thy soile That God hath giuen to thee and thine to hold If thou oppression meane beware the foile Beare not thy selfe of thee or thine too bold Or of the feats thy elders did of old For God is iust iniustice will not thriue He plagues the proud preserues the good aliue HOW KING LOCRINVS the eldest son of Brutus liued vitiously and was slaine in battell by his wife Queene Guendoline the yeare before Christ 1064. IF euer any noble Prince might rue My haplesse deeds of yore the same may I That would to God it were not farre too true Or that I iustly could my faults denie * The truth of things the end or time doth trie As well by me is seene my haplesse fall Declares whence came my great misfortunes all I am Locrinus second Britaine King The eldest sonne of him that found this land Whose death to me my mischiefes all did bring And caus'd why first I tooke my death in hand He chiefely wil'd me when he gaue this land I should be rul'd by all his Counsels will And vse their iudgements in my dealings still But what do I accuse my fathers hest What meane I heere th' unfaultie for to blame All he commanded euen was for the best Though in effect of best the worst became So things oft times well ment vnfitly frame So often times the counsell of our frend Apparent good falles faultie in the end For as he wisht I vsde his Counsels aide In each thing that I deem'd was good for me I neuer ought that they desir'd denaide But did to all their minds and hests agree And Corinaeus saw my heart so 〈◊〉 By diuers meanes he sought the match to make That to my wife I might his daughter take So I that wist not then what mariage ment Did straight agree his Guendoline to haue Yet afterward suspecting his intent My friends to me this point of counsell gaue That * whoso doth of Prince alliance craue He meanes thereby to worke some point of ill Or else to frame the Prince vnto his will It may well be he ment no ill at all But * wise men alwaies vse to dread the worst And sith it was the fountaine of my fall From whence the spring of all my sorowes burst I may well thinke was some of vs accurst For why * the end doth alwaies proue the fact By end we iudge the meaning of the act I made no haste to wed my spoused wife I wist I could as yet without her bide I had not tasted ioyes of trained life I deem'd them fooles by Cupids dart that dide I Venus vile and all her feats defide I liu'd at rest and rul'd my land so well That men delighted of my facts to tell My brethren eke long weilded well their parts We fear'd no foes we thought our state would stand We gaue our selues to learned skilfull arts Wherein we either fruite or pleasure fand And we enioyd too fine a fertile land That few in earth might with our states compare We liu'd so void of noisome carke and care But see the chance when least we thought of ill When we esteem'd our state to be most sure Then came a flaw to bridle all our will For strangers farre gan vs to warre procure And euen when first they put their pranke in vre On Albaine shores my brother there they slew Whose death we after made the Hunnes to rue When he was dead they hop'd to winne the rest And ouer Aby streame with hast did hie But I and eke my brother Camber drest Our armies straight and came their force to trie We brake their raies and forc'd the King to flie Into the arme of sea they ouer came Where Humber drownde the waters tooke their name We either slew or tooke them captiues all Amongst the which O mischiefe great to tell The Gods to worke mine ouerthrow and fall Sent Ladies three whose beauties did excell Of which because I liked one so well I tooke her straight nor she did ought denie But ech thing granted so she might not die Thus Humber we this hatefull hungrie King In Humber drencht and him depriu'd of pride And of his louely Ladies he did bring He lost the pray and all his men beside And we the spoiles of all his host diuide But I that thought I had the greatest share Had caught the cause of all my wofull care They cal'd this Ladie Elstride whom I tooke Whose beautie braue did so my wits confound That for her sake my promise I forsooke Whereby I was to Guendoline first bound Me thought no Ladie else so high renound That might haue causde me change my conflate minde So was I caught by snares of Cupid blinde Was neuer none before so li'kd mine eye I lou'd her more then I could loue my life Her absence still me thought did cause me dye I surely ment to take her for my wife But see how beautie breedeth deadly strife Loe here began my whole confusion here Sprang out the shaft from whence this wound I beare For Corinaeus had no sooner heard That I did meane his daughter to forsake But straight as one that did nought else regard In hast
take reuengement of our mortall strife I longed long to bring thee to this day And thou likewise hast sought to suck my bloud Now art thou taken in my spoiles a pray For thee my life full long in daunger stood I will both teach thy selfe and others good To breake the bands of faithfull wedlocke plight And giue thee that which thou deseruest right O harlot whore why should I stay my hands O paynted picture shall thy lookes thee saue Nay bind her fast both hand and foote in bands And let her some straunge kinde of torments haue What strumpet think'st for that thou seemest braue Or for thy teares or sighes to scape my sight My selfe will rather vanquish thee by fight Thou rather should'st my vitall breath depriue Then euer scape if none were here but wee But now I will not file my hands to striue Or else to touch so vile a drab as she Come on at once and bring her after me With hand and feete as I commaunded bound And let mee see her here as Humber drown'd A thousand things beside she spake in rage While that a caitiffe did with cords me binde No teares nor sobs nor sighes might ought asswage The ielous Queene or mollifie her minde Occasions still her franticke head did finde And when she spake her eies did seeme as fire Shee lookt as pale as chalke with wrathfull ire Ne stood she still but fearcely me defide Raung'd vp and downe and oft her palmes shee strooke Locrinus now quoth she had not thus dide If such an harlot whore he had not tooke And therewithall shee gaue a Tigers looke That made me quake what lettes quoth she my knife To ridde this whore my husbands second wife H 'is dead I liue and shall I saue her life O Queene quoth I if pitie none remayne But I be slaine or drown'd as Humber was Then take thy pleasure by my pinching payne And let me hence as thou appointest passe But take some pitie on my childe alas Thou know'st the infant made no fault but hee That 's dead and I therefore reuenge on mee No bastards here shall liue to dispossesse My sonne she sayd but sith thou soughtest same I will prouide for her a kingdome lesse Which shall hereafter euer haue her name Thou know'st whereof the name of Humber came Euen so Sabrina shall this streame bee cal'd Sith Sabrine me as Humber Locrine thral'd With that my childe was Sabrine brought in sight Who when she saw mee there in bandes to lie Alas she cri'd what meanes this piteous plight And downe shee fell before the Queene with cry O Queene quoth shee let me more rather die Than she that 's guiltlesse should for why thy king Did as his captiue her to leaudnes bring Which when I saw the kindnes of the childe It burst my heart much more then doome of death Poore little lambe with countenance how milde See pleaded still and I for want of breath With woefull teares that lay her feete beneath Could not put foorth a word our liues to saue Or if therefore I might a kingdome haue Her piteous plaints did somwhat death withdraw For as shee long beheld the Queene with teares Quoth shee let me haue rigour void of law In whome the signe of all thy wrath appeares And let me die my fathers face that beares Sith he is dead and we are voide of stay Why should I thee for life or mercy pray My mother may to Germany returne Where shee was borne and if it please thy grace And I may well lie in my fathers tombe If thou wilt grant his childe so good a place But if thou think my bloud is farre too bace Although I came by both of princely line Then let me haue what shroud thou wilt assigne With that the Queene replied with milder cheere And sayd the childe was wonderous feate and wittie But yet shee would not her reuenge forbeare For why quoth shee the prouerbe sayes * that pittie Hath lewdly lost full many a noble Cittie Here Elstride now I le wreke my greefes on thee To die take leaue but talke no more to mee On this my leaue I tooke and thus I sayd Farewell my countrey Germany farewell Adew the place from whence I was conueyd Farewell my father and friends there dwell My Humber drown'd as I shall be farewell Adew Locrinus dead for thee I die Would God my corps might by thy coffine lie Adew my pleasures past farewell adew Adew the cares and sorrowes I haue had Farewell my friends that earst for me did sue Adew that were to saue my life full glad Farewell my fauning friends I lately had And thou my beauty cause of death farewell As oft as heart can thinke or tongue can tell Adew you heauens my mortall eyes shall see No more your lights and planets all farewell And chiefly Venus faire that paintedst me When Mercury his tale to me did tell Eke afterwards when Mars with vs did dwell And now at last thou cruell Mars adew Whose dart my life and loue Locrinus slew And must I needes depart from thee my childe If needs I must ten thousand times farewell Poore little lambe thy friends are quite exilde And much I feare thou shalt not long doe well But if they so with boyling rancour swell As thee to slea which neuer wroughtest ill How can they stay my stayned corps to kill With that my Sabrines slender armes imbrast Me round and would not let me so depart Let me quoth she for her the waters tast Or let vs both together end our smart Yea rather rip you forth my tender heart What should I liue But they the child withdrew And me into the raging streame they threw So in the waters as I striu'd to swimme And kept my head aboue the waues for breath Me thought I saw my child would venter in Which cri'd amaine O let me take like death The waters straight had drawne me vnderneath Where diuing vp at length againe rose I And saw my child and cri'd farewell I die Then as my strength was wasted downe I went Eke so I plunged twice or thrice yet more My breath departed needs I must relent The waters pierst my mouth and eares so sore And to the bottome with such force me bore That life and breath and mind and sense was gone And I as dead and cold as marble stone Lo thus you heare the race of all my life And how I past the pikes of painfull woe How twice I thought to be a Princes wife And twice was quite depriu'd my honor fro The third time Queene and felt foule ouerthro Let Princely Ladies view mine historie Mine haps and woes and hatefull destinie Bid them beware lest beautie them abuse Beware of pride for haue a fall it must And bid them Fortunes flatterie refuse Her turned wheele is void of steadie trust Who reckes no meane but leaueth all to lust Shall find my words as true as I them tell Bid them beware
in time I wish them well HOW THE LADIE SAbrine daughter of King Locrinus and Elstride was drowned by Queene Guendoline the yeare before Christ 1064. BEhold me Sabrine orphane erst bereft Of all my friends by cruell case of warre When as not one to treate for me was left But ielousie did all their powers debarre When as my father eke was slaine in warre And when my mother euen before my sight Was drown'd to death O wretch in wofull plight Trust who so will the staffe of high estate And bring me word what stay thereby you haue For why if Fortune once displeasure take She giues the foile though lookes be neu'r so braue * T is wisdome when you winne to winne to saue For oft who trusts to get a Prince his traine Would at the length of beggers life be faine This might the Hunne erst Humber well haue said And this my mother Elstride prou'd too true When as his life by striuing streames was staid And when the tyrants her in waters threw What I may say my selfe reports to you Which had more terror shew'd then twice such twaine Giue eare and iudge if I abode no paine First when my fathers corps was stricken downe With deadly shaft I came to mourne and see And as he lay with bleeding brest in sowne He cast aside his watring eyes on me Flie flie quoth he thy stepdame seekes for thee My wofull child what flight maist thou to take My Sabrine poore I must thee needs forsake See heere mine end behold thy fathers fall Flie hence thy stepdame seekes thy staylesse life Thy mother eke ere this is wrapt in thrall You cannot scape of iealous griefe her knife Farewell my child mine Elstride and my wife Adue quoth he I may no longer bide And euen with that he gasped breath and dide What bird can flie and soare if stormes do rage What ship can saile if once the winds resist What wight is that can force of warres asswage Or else what warre can bridle fortunes list What man is he that dare an hoast resist What woman only dare withstand a field If not what child but must to enemies yeeld My fathers souldiers fled away for feare As soone as once their Captaines death they scand The Queene proclaim'd a pardon euery where To those would yeeld and craue it at her hand Excepting such as did her aye withstand For so the course alwaies of pardons goes As saues the souldier and entraps the foes Then wist I flight could nothing me preuaile I fear'd her pardon would not saue my life The storme was such I durst not beare a faile I durst not go t' intreate my fathers wife Although I neuer was the cause of strife For iealosie deuoid of reasons raigne With frenzies fume enragde her restlesse braine But see the chance thus compast round with feare In broiles of blood as in the field I stand I wisht to God my corps were any where As out of life or off this hatefull land No sooner wisht but there was euen at hand A souldier vile in haste quoth he come on Queene Elstride will before thou â—â—me begon The rascall rude the rogue the clubfist grept My slender arme and plucktme on in hast And with my robes the bloodie ground he swept As I drue backe he hal'd me on full fast Vnder his arme my carefull corps he cast Sith that quoth he thou put'st me to this paine Thou shalt thereby at length but little gaine So at the length we came where we descri'd A number huge of folkes about the Queene As when you see some wonder great betide Or else the place where some strange sight hath beene So might you there the people standing seene And gazed all when as they see me brought Then sure I deem'd I was not come for nought And in the prease some praisde my comely face In beautie Elstride which resembled right Some said I looked like my fathers grace But others said it was a piteous sight I should so die the Queene me pardon might They said the beast me bore did me abuse Which not so rudely ought a Princesse vse But what did this redresse my wofull care You wot the Commons vse such prouerbs still And yet the captiues poore no better are It rather helpes their pained hearts to kill * To pitie one in griefe doth worke him ill Bemone his woe and cannot ease his thrall It kils his heart but comforts none at all Thus past we through the prease at length we came Into the presence of the iealous Queene Who nought at all the rascall rude did blame That bare me so but askt if I had seene My father slaine that cause thereof had beene O Queene quoth I God knowes my whole intent Of slaughter guiltlesse I am innocent With that I saw the people looke aside To view a mourning voice I heard thereby It was my wofull mother by that cri'd Lo Sabrine bound at brinke of death I lie What pen or tongue or teares with weeping eie Could tell my woes that saw my mother bound On waters shoare wherein she should be drown'd With that I fell before the Queene and pray'd For mercie but with fierie eyes she bent Her browes on me out bastard vile she said Thou wot'st not yet wherefore for thee I sent O Queene quoth I haue pitie be content And if thou mind of mercie ought to show Drowne me and let my mother harmelesse go For why she was a Prince his daughter borne In Germany and thence was brought away Perforce by Humber who by warres forlorne Thy King as captiue tooke her for his pray Thou maist full well her case with reason way What could she do what more then she or I Thy captiues now thine owne to liue or die Take pitie then on Princely race O Queene Haue pitie if remorce may ought require Take pitie on a captiue thrice hath beene Let pitie pierce the rage of all thine ire But if thy breast burne with reuenging fire Then let my death quench out that fuming flame Sith of thy husbands blood and hers I came Much more I said while teares out streaming went But nought of ease at all thereby I gain'd My mother eke did as she lay lament Wherewith my heart a thousand fold she pain'd And though the Queene my plaints to fauour fain'd Yet at the last she bad she should prepare Her selfe to die and end her course of care Then all her friends my mother Elstride nam'd And pleasures past and bade them all adue Eke as she thus her last farewell had fram'd With losse of him from whom her sorowes grue At length to me which made my heart to rue She said farewell my child I feare thy fall Ten thousand times adue my Sabrine small And as the cruell caytiffes came to take Her vp to cast and drowne her in the floud I fast mine armes about her clipt did make And cri'd O Queene let mercie meeke thy mood Do rather reaue my
for whoso did complaine Without respect or sentence more was slaine For pleasures sake to see the flames arise I causde that Rome should then on fire be set And for to feede therewith my gazing eyes On high Maecenas Tower to stand I get So sixe daies fire and seuen nights waste I let And sang there while beholding it with ioy The Iliades sweet of Grecians burning Troy Then I restrain'd that no man should resort To the ruines great when as the fire was past Nor should therefrom the reliques left transport But to my selfe reseru'd them all at last The Merchants causelesse from their goods I cast And Senatours depriu'd of all they had Some slaine the rest with life to scape were glad Still out the sword to slay all sorts I drew My mother could not scape amongst them free My brother deare and sisters eke I slew And of my wiues likewise a two or three My kinsemen eke I kil'd of each degree Reioycing in so heinous bloodshed still Nought else with Nero then but kill them kill And for that Seneca me counsaile gaue My tutour good in youth to leaue my vice I bad him choose what death him lik'd to haue Which now should pay for then my stripes the price In water warme to stand was his deuice And there to bleede a milde and gentle death Euen so I causde them reaue his vitall breath So with almightie Ioue I gan to warre The Christians good I did torment and flay Commanding all my subiects neere and farre Their liues and goods to spoile and take away Which they accomplisht straight without delay Both Paul and Peter Christs disciples twaine Th' Apostles both by mine edict were slaine But what endureth long that 's violent The thunder seemes some time to teare the skies At seas full oft the stormes are vehement To cloudes aloft the waues and waters rise Soone after th' aire is cleare the water lies Experience and the prouerbs olde doe showe * Each storme will haue his calme each tide his flowe For when I went for to destroy the state And all the Romanes noble fame t' obscure The Senate all and people did me hate And sought which way they might my death procure Mine outrage they no longer could endure They me proclaimed a foe to publique weale To saue my selfe away by night I steale The iudgement was such foes should pillered be By necke in forke made fastfull sure to bide And should with rods so long there beaten be Vntill therewith the wofull caytiues dide From this correction therefore fast I hide From Galba then proclaimed Emprour new For feare of death by deeds deserued due By night I say forsaken quite I fled And Sporus th' Eunuch most impure likewise With others three like filthy life that led To slay my selfe I desperate then deuise Whom all the world did so for sinne despise And thirsting sore in fight full faine I dranke The waters foule which in the ditches stanke At my request my friends would me not kill Haue I quoth I no foe nor yet no frend To reaue me from this feare of conscience ill Will no man make of Nero yet an end With that my brest to point of sword I bend With trembling hand which Sporus holpe to stay And on the same my selfe assai'd to slay With that of Galbaes seruants one drew nie With fained cheere as though he helpe me would Too late you come call you this helpe quoth I Is this the friendship firme and faith you hold My life was filthie vile for to behold My death more vile more filthie I depart So mine owne sword I ran quite through my hart HOW SERGIVS GALBA THE EMPEROVR OF ROME giuen to slaughter ambition and gluttonie was slaine by the souldiers the yeare of Christ 71. AMongst the hautie Emprours downe that fell I Sergius Galba may be placed heere Where who so sees and markes my dealings well To him may soone the fruits of fraud appeare All murders great are bought with price full deare Foule slaughters done procure as foule a fall As he deserues that workes the wofull thrall In Rome sometime I Pretour chosen was And then obtain'd of Spaine the Prouince faire To gouerne there I brought by friends to passe In hope to be the Emprour Neroes heire For when the Romans did of him despaire So bent at home to slaughter lust and vice By warres abroad I wan the praise and price To get the souldiers fauour I tooke paine For in the Emprours choice they gaue the stroke I therefore sought some spoiles for them to gaine Though thereby oft the lawes of armes I broke But who may words or actions done reuoke The staine abides where euill strikes the good And vengeance wrecks the waste of guiltlesse bloud In Lusitania while that time I lay I causde the people there assemble should Reporting I had somwhat for to say Which in effect procure them profit would To which they came as many neere as could Full thirtie thousand thinking nought of ill All which I causde the souldiers there to kill I sought by death to post proud Nero hence Not for his vicious life but for his place Although his vice were made the chiefe pretence Whom all good men accounted void of grace But yet I could not stay so long a space I causde in Spaine the souldiers me proclame Which straight they did and gaue me Caesars name To Rome I hide and Nero gate him thence He stole away for feare of sentence past A publique foe proclaim'd for negligence For slaughters done for fire of Rome the wast Eke for because he was of me agast He slew him selfe before my man could come Which slaughter else my seruants there had done When I my master thus subuerted had The Romanes eke began mislike with mee They said I was ambitious nigh so bad And cruell giuen to pride and gluttony How I was ruled all by Romanes three Cornelius Iulius Celius for the State My schoolemasters for which they did me hate And Siluius Otho sought the Empire then That vicious beast and coward varlet vile He dealt by gifts so with mine armed men That factions rose in campe within a while Which when I came them for to reconcile To Curtius lake neere which the armie lay Of Siluius friends the souldiers did me slay Strooke off my head and bare it to my foe Who causde it should be set vpon a speare So through the campe they bare it to and fro Saluting it now dead a sort there were Which late thereof aliue did doubt and feare O Galba ioifull daies the Gods thee giue God send thee Galba well long time to liue This was the guerdon of my hautie pride To haue mine head thus wise extold aloft Thus I the gaines of hasty climing tride To leese mine head and after haue it scoft A thing indeed that chaunceth wonders oft * Who thinkes that gaine is sweet by sheading blood In purple gore oft yeeldes like gainfull good HOW THE VICIOVS
and creepe and bow Our hearts our heads we sauage were but now Yet by and by such was the good successe In fiery flames the truth we did professe Then flitting Fame the truth to testifie Against my wil at Rome made such report That Constatinus thence did hither hie And being come vnto my Britaine Court With louers lookes he striu'd to scale the Fort Of my good will but when it would not bee He sighing thus addrest his talke to me O Queene quoth he thy deeds deserue great fame The goodly gifts that God hath giu'n to thee Be such as I cannot thee greatly blame Though thou without desert disdainest me Who for thy sake doth lothe all crueltie But for thy loue with Mars his cruell knife I could command thy Realme and reaue thy life But out alas whil'st breath doth lend me life My heart shall hate to thrall thy happie state What though thou dost refuse to be my wife Thy hatred tho shall neuer cause me hate But whil'st I liue I will thee loue let Fate And Fortune fell powre on me all their spight To die for thee shall greatly me delight Then I repli'd O Duke without desert Thou dost me loue a little Ilands Queene I know thou to the Emperour heire art Thy valiant acts I diuers waies haue seene I like thy deeds most noble which haue been And thee I loue yet priuate pleasures lust May neuer make me throw my Realme to dust If thou quoth he wilt daine my Queene to be Thy Britaines shall to Rome no tribute yeeld You if you please to Rome may go with me Your mightie mate the world so wide may wield Or if you please I heere with you will bilde My biding place and in this little land I will remaine yours heere at your command His comely grace his friendly promise plight His famous actes his Noble royall race Some other things which heere I could recite The Romans heart within my brest did place And when my wit had weighed well the case Then for the chiefe of all my Realme I sent And thus I spake to know the whole intent My louing Lords and you my subiects see This Roman heire whom I indeed do loue He will restore your ancient libertie If I will bend my hest to his behoue Which benefits they chiefely do me moue To loue at last a man by whom you may Receiue a Shield to keepe you from decay Perhaps you thinke I loue because I see His comely shape and seemely sanguine face You be deceiu'd no outward brauery No personage no gallant courtly grace What though he be by birth of royall race I recke it not but this I do regard My Commonweale by him may be preseru'd For if he will from tribute set you free And end the worke which I haue well begonne That Christs Gospell preached still may bee God may by him send vnto me a sonne To you a King what wealth then haue you wonne What great renowne what honor will insue Speake you your minds these things me thinke be true O Queene quoth they the Lord preserue thy grace Do thou the thing that seemes to thee the best We do allow the match in euery case If by that meanes we may haue quiet rest With what great good shal this our Realme be blest Do thou therefore O noble Queene we pray The thing which best may keepe vs from decay The Roman Duke he nothing would deny But granted more then I could aske or craue So that there was proclaimed by and by A famous feast a banquet passing braue There to the Duke the Britaine crowne I gaue With sacred spousall rights as man and wife We wedded liu'd in loue for terme of life And whil'st we ment to rule this little I le A greater good vnlooked for befell Death did destroy his Sire with hateful hand For which we both at Rome must now go dwell And so we did things prospered passing well My Feere was made the Emperour Lord and king Of all and I the Queene of euery thing His mightie Mace did rule the Monarchie My wit did rule some writers say his Mace And to increase with ioy our merrie glie I brought him forth a babe of Royall race The boy he had an amiable face O Rome thou maist reioyce for this was he Which did at Rome erect Diuinitie Whil'st thus in blisse I did at Rome remaine A Britaine still my mind her care did cast For which I caus'd my husband to ordaine That euermore those ancient Lawes should last Which heretofore amongst them there I past And that to Rome no Britaine borne for aye Should taxe or toll or tenth or tribute pay Though there at Rome an Empresse life I led And had at hand what I could wish or craue Yet still me thought I was not wel bestead Because I was so farre from Britaine braue Which when my louing Lord did once perceiue He set a stay in all the Emperie To Britaine then he did returne with me We raign'd of yeeres thrice seuen with good successe Then Dolor and Debilitie did driue My louing Lord with fainting feeblenesse For vitall life with braying breath to striue He felt how death of life would him depriue He cal'd his Lords his child and me his wife And thus he spake euen as he left his life The haughtie Pines of loftie Libanus From earth to earth in tract of time returne So I whose spreading praise were maruellous Must now returne my flesh to filthie slime On Fortunes wheele I may no longer clime Therefore my Lords although my glasse be runne Yet take remorse on Constantine my sonne My Monarch Court my Kingdomes all O stately Rome farewell to them and thee Farewell my Lords which see my finall fall Farewell my child my wife more deare to mee Then all the world we must depart I see And must we needs depart O Fortune fie We must depart adue farewell I die Wherewith he sigh'd and senselesse did remaine Then I his death as women do did waile But when I view'd that weeping was but vaine I was content to beare that bitter bale As one who found no meanes for her auaile His corps at Yorke in Princely Tombe I laid When funerall sacred solemne rites were paid And when report his death about had blowne Maxentius then the triple crowne to weare Did challenge all the Empire as his owne And for a time that mightie Mace did beare Which when my sonne my Constantine did heare The youthfull Lad indeuour'd by and by To claime his right by Mars his crueltie I then his tender youthfull yeares to guide Went with my sonne to see his good successe He being Campt by fruitfull Tybers side To spoile his foe he did himselfe addresse He knew that God did giue all happinesse Therefore to God euen then the youth did pray With mightie hand to keepe him from decay Behold how God doth godly men defend And marke how he doth beate Vsurpers downe Maxentius now
and well apaid If women thus had walked in my time I had not stoopt vnto that painted lure Which did intice me to commit the crime Which to the pearch of leaudnesse ti'd me sure For her disport my Ladie could procure The wretched wings of this my muting mind Restlesse to seeke her emptie fist to find I thus arriu'd in Pleasures cursed court I lothed Mars I hated Mercurie It was me thought a passing pleasant sport Leauing the fields at Bacchus brauerie Sometime to sit vpon my mistresse knee Where that I might be at my pleasure plaste I sent the Duke away to warres in haste You which haue plaid with pleasures banding balles You know the life which lingring louers lead You know how sweet it is to scale the walles Of her good will who liu'd in feare and dread You know right well how well those wights haue sped Who haue at last by drifts of long delay Their hoped meed and wished pleasant pray Vnconquered beautie whence had'st thou that power To make stout Vter stoope to his owne shame That neuer stoopt to foes why for that flower Of sweete delight in Igren that faire Dame Did I forgoe the golden flower of fame Victorious beautie and base yeelding lust Did cast great Vters conquests in the dust Yet no such blame as writers do record Do I deserue for this vnhappie deed Proud Gorolus the bright-cheekt Igrens Lord Receiu'd no wrong but his owne merits meed When in the field I made his heart to bleed If thoughts of treason merit death and shame His trecherous deeds did well deserue the same His gracelesse treason he in act did show For when I sent him to Nathaliod hight In bloodie field against the Saxon foe He swolne in heart with enuie and despight Of his associates good did leaue the fight And leauing stout Nathaliod for a pray Vnto the foes from field he fled away By which enforc'd I was with Mars to rise From Venus bed and arme me for the field Where like a storme in thunder clad from skies Vpon my foes I fell they could not shield Themselues from death few scap't that did not yeeld Occa and Ossa both I downe did bring And led them captiue like a conquering King Againe I then gan thinke vpon my loue Vpon mine Igren deare against whose Lord I finding cause for that he late did proue Faithlesse to me did with my lust accord Gainst him as ' against my foe to draw my sword Whom by his castle called Dunilioc I slew with blade in battailes bloodie stroke Then did I take mine Igren as mine owne And crown'd her Queene in my Emperiall chaire On whom great Arthur I begot anone And after him my Anna hight the faire In seeming blisse I long liu'd void of care For thrice nine yeares with Igren I did raigne And ' gainst the Saxons did my state maintaine But for the rape of Gorolus his wife The heauens did powre downe vengeance on my head I by vntimely death did end my life My said soule hence enforc'd by poison fled By Saxons wrought who often wish'd me dead And left behind for all my deeds of fame Iust cause for writers pens to speake my shame Learne they which liue in high or low degree To flee the foile which I by folly felt Let them refraine those loftie Dames to see They know how loftie lookes with me haue delt You see how sight did make my honor melt Let all men know mans heart did neuer rue The thing which he with sight did neuer view But how may men the sight of Beautie shun In England at this present dismall day All void of veiles like Layes where Ladies run And rome about at euery feast and play They wandring walke in euery streete and way With loftie luring lookes they bounsing braue The highest place in all mens sight must haue With pride they pranke to please the wandring eye With garish grace they smile they iet they iest O English Dames your lightnesse verily The Curtizans of Rome do much detest In closets close to liue they count it best They giue not grace to euery wandring wight Your smiling cheere doth euery man delight The Poets gods Saturne and Iupiter To Beauties becke their highnesse did obay Pluto of hell did plead at Beauties bar And Phillis causde Demophoon to stay Pasiphäe a Bull brought to the bay So gods and diuels both men and beasts they all By womens wiles are slaues to Beauties thrall What gaine is got by light and wanton waies You reape reproch a guerdon got thereby Men by your meanes do cause their owne decay And you your selues all soust in sinne must die Refraine therefore to please mans gazing eie Let men likewise the baited hookes refraine Of luring lookes their vanting vowes be vaine Thomas Blener Hasset HOW CADWALLADER THE LAST KING OF THE Britaines was expelled by the Saxons went to Rome and there liued in a religious house YOu mourning Muses all where euer you remaine Assist my sobbing soule this driery tale to tell You furious Furies fierce of Lymbo Lake below Helpe to vnlade my brest of all the bale it beares And you who felt the fall from honors high renowne From graues you grizlie ghosts send forth to helpe me mourne O Pallas giue thou place that mourning Clio may On Lute lamenting sound and sing my dolefull dumps Let riming meetered lines and pleasant musike cease Let Satyres solemne sound send forth the fall I felt And when the truth of all my Tragedie is knowne Let them that liue then learne all things must haue an end The Persian Monarch and the Medes it downe did fall That of Assyria in tract of time did end Yea Alexanders force in fight subdu'd them both And brought the world so wide into one Monarchie What though the fretting force of Fate did him dismay He felt at last the foile his vanting was in vaine He dead the world it was diuided as before The Roman Emperie came tumbling downe at last And where is Troy and Greece and mightie Macedon They flourisht for a time like this my little I le The Soldion brought them downe and did their states destroy Euen so the Saxons brought the Britaine 's to the bay Euen these mine eyes did see that hatefull hidious sight These feeble hands when long they labour'd had in vaine Did yeeld their interest then thus I did complaine Who can refraine the force of mightie mounting seas When billowes make a breach and beate the bankes adowne Doth not the saltish surge then beat the bankes adowne Then man may not withstand the rigor of their rage But wisdome would haue kept the waues within their bounds Counsell doth come too late when hope of helpe is past Such was my filthie fate my leaud and lothsome lucke I sought a salue to cure and helpe the helpelesse wound For long before my time seuen Kings were setled heere The Saxons such as dwelt by East Sibertus rul'd The Angles in
the East Redwallus rul'd as King Then Ethelbert was King of all the coast of Kent In Southsex Ethelwolfus wore the regall crowne Then Quincillinus was a Saxon King by West Of Martia in the mid'st King Penda was the Prince And Edwin in Northumberland did rule and raigne How did my Grandsire grand renowned Arthur he These seuen destroy with deadly field of wrackfull warre But Mordred made the meane that brought them in againe Vortiporus with warre almost consum'd them all Then Malgo he with peace restor'd againe their state Cariticus the sinne of ciuill strise did loue For which Gurmundus did the Britaines much annoy Then Cadwin out of Wales King Etheldred did spoile Cadwalline then did force King Penda to a foile And I Cadwallader at last did presse in place Then Lothar king of Kent in warre that wretch I slue And Ethiwolne the king of South saxons I spoilde The other fiue did me inuade with cruel fight With whom in diuers warres I diuersly did speed Somtime Bellona blew a blessed blast for me And changed chance somtime did force my men to flee Whilst thus I wag'd my warres in secret silent night The very voice of God it thus to me did speake Thou striu'st against the streame the tide doth beate thee back Strike thou thy sailes take ancor hold els must thou feele a wrack Which saying did indeed amaze me more by much Then all the force that man against my will might bend For who the will of God with weapons may resist And when as sinne hath sold a countrey to decay Then praier must preuaile for weapons will not help And when the end is come when all the glasse is runne Who can resist the force of Fate and destinies Who things forerun to fall from falling can refraine It passeth mortall might to bring such things about Let man content himselfe to do what best he may By trying too too much no man his God may tempt But mortall man must thinke that God the best doth know Who can depresse to dust and raise when best him please And as I thus amidst my musings did remaine I did resigne my crowne and deem'd al honours vaine And though it greeu'd me much to feele the fall I selt Yet was I well content I could not as I would For which I left my land my people and my place The Saxons they obtain'd the wage for which they war'd When I three yeares had raign'd without one day of rest Euen then in mourning robes at Rome I did arriue And there contemning all the world and worldly things I made my selfe a Monke cease Memory to muse A Monke I made my selfe thou knowest it passing plaine Amongst the Friers there I led my lingring life And til my dying day I daily did deuise How by my meanes it might to all the world be knowne That mortall flesh is fraile and euery thing must fade And euen amongst those things which Nature doth create Nothing so vile as man amongst the rest is found Which made Heraclitus with ceaslesse sighes to waile He to his dying day did nothing els but weepe Affirming all the world vnder the heauen to be A path of penitence maze of misery What is the life of man but care and daily toile Bearing alwaies about a burthen of mishappes All his delights repentance daily doth pursue Nothing but death doth bring him peace and quiet rest Yet that which brings him blisse he most of all doth hate Which made Democritus with mirth to spend his daies He laughing aie did mocke the madnesse of mankinde Whose loue is long to liue and feareth much to die Death reaues vs from disease Death ends the feare of death When Midas did demaund Silenus what was best For mortall man to wish the Satyr thus did say Not to bee borne if borne not long our liues to lead For life I most doe lothe and death I least doe dread And how did Timon leade with sauage beasts his life How did that Hermite poore his lothsome life detest Affirming with the wise Aurelius Emperour That if a man should make a true discourse of all The wretched woes he felt from birth to dying day The feeble flesh would faint to feele so sharpe a fight The hart would quake to heare Dame Fortunes sharpe assaults And I Cadwallader a king can make report That nothing may content the minde of mortall man The more my selfe did eate the hungrier ay I was The more I dranke the more thirst did me stil distresse The more I slept the more I sluggish did remaine The more I rested me the more I wearied was The more of wealth I had the more I did desire The more I still did seeke the lesse I aye did finde And to conclude I found I neuer could obtaine The thing but in the end it causde me to complaine My present good successe did threaten thrall to come And changing chance did still with sorow me consume For which my royall robes my crowne I laid aside Meaning to proue by proofe the paines of pouertie Which pouertie I felt all riches to exceede It beareth much more blisse then high and courtly state Codrus and Irus poore for wealth did farre surpasse Midas and Croesus king for wealth who did surpasse And I amongst my mates the Romish Friers felt More ioy and lesse annoy then erst in Britaine braue For there I doubted still the Saxons subtile sleights I feared there the fall from royall regall seat But here at Rome I liu'd not fearing force of foe I had for mine estate what I could wish or craue And this I there did finde they of the Clergie be Of all the men that liue the least in misery For all men liue in care they carelesse do remaine Like buzzing Drones they eate the hony of the Bee They only do excell for fine felicitie The king must wage his warres he hath no quiet day The noble man must rule with care the common-weale The Countreyman must toile to till the barren soile With care the Merchant man the surging seas must saile With trickling droppes of sweat the handcrafts man doth thriue With hand as hard as boord the woorkeman eates his bread The souldier in the field with paine doth get his pay The seruing man must serue and crouch with cap and knee The Lawyer he must pleade and trudge from bench to barre Who Physicke doth professe he is not void of care But Churchmen they be blest they turne a leafe or two They sometime sing a Psalme and for the people pray For which they honour haue and sit in highest place What can they wish or seeke that is not hard at hand They labour not at all they know no kind of paine No danger doth with dread their happy liues distresse Cease you therefore to muse what madnesse made me leaue The Court and courtly pompe of wearing royal crowne No madnesse did that deed but wisedome wisht it so I gaind thereby the blisse which
th' other side the Knight doth work my wracke The other points with Pawnes be all possest And here the Rooke of ruth doth reaue my rest And beeing brought into this strange estate I do confesse my selfe to haue a mate Sith sorow so hath seasde vpon my bones That now too late I do lament my losse And sith no meanes may turne my gastfull grones To ioyfull glie sith trouble still doth tosse Me to and fro in waltring waues of woe Death is my friend and life I count my foe Which death though once my feeble flesh did feare Yet now I faine would feele his murdring speare In gurging gulfe of these such surging seas My poorer soule who drownd doth death request I wretched wight haue sought mine owne disease By mine owne meanes my state it was distrest For whilst I meant to make my lust a law Iustice me from my high estate did draw So that I find and feele it now with paine All worldly pompe al honour is but vaine Which honour I to fiery flames compare For when they flash and flourish most of all Then suddainely their flamings quenched are For proofe whereof to minde now let vs call Antigonus and Ptolemeus Great Caesar and Mithridate we may repeat With Darius and great Antiochus Cambises eke and conquering Pyrrhus And I the last might first haue had my place They all as I with flaming fierie show Were quenched quite Dame Fortune did deface Yea hatefull hap euen then did ouerthrow Vs most when most we had our hearts desire When most we flourisht like the flames of fire Euen then the seas of sorow did preuaile And made vs weare a blacke lamenting saile And heere before my death I will repeate To thee the thing which I of late did dreame That thou and all the world may see how great A care it is to rule a royall realme My dreame shal shew that blisse doth not consist In wealth nor want but he alone is blest Who is content with his assigned fate And neuer striues to clime to higher state When seemely Sol had rest his glittering gleames And night the earth did with her darkenesse vaile Dame Cinthia then with her bright burnisht beames The shadowed shades of darkenesse did assaile Then Somnus caus'd my senses all to quaile On carefull couch then being laid to rest With doubtfull dreames I strangely was distrest In cottage cold where care me thought did keepe With naked need and want of wherewithall Where pouertie next beggers doore did creepe And where expences were so passing small That all men deem'd that man forethrong'd with thrall Which there did dwell euen there from bondage free I view'd a man all void of miserie And whil'st I musde how he in bliue of blisse Could lead his life amid'st that caue of care From Princely Court proceeded ere I wist A man with whom there might no man compare His wealth his wit his courage were so rare That none before nor since were like to him Yet he me thought in waues of woe din swim This man had all that men could wish or craue For happie state yet nought he had in deed The other he had nought that men would haue Yet had he all beleeue it as thy Creed This saying of that happie man I reade That hauing nought yet all things so I haue That hauing nought I nothing more do craue The King me thought with all his Courtly traine Past to the place where pouertie did dwell With frowning face and with a troubled braine With woe and want his vexed veines did swell With mirth and ioy the poore man did excell And being come vnto his house ymade Of one poore hogshead thus to him he said Diogenes thou lead'st a lothsome life Me thinke thou might'st much better spend thy time Within my Court both thou and eke thy wife Thou by that meanes to high estate maist clime I haue the wealth and thou art void of crime And loe before thy face I heere am prest To giue thee that which thou shalt now request Stand backe Sir King thy vaunting vowes be vaine I nothing recke thy promise goods nor land And Titans stately streames would me sustaine With heate if thou from this my doore wouldst stand Thou takst away much more then thy commaund Can giue againe thy gifts so vile I deeme That none but fooles such follies do esteeme With conquest thou hast wone the world so wide And yet thou canst not win thy wandring wil Thou wouldest win an other world beside But tush that fact doth farre surpasse thy skill Thou neuer wilt of Conquest haue thy fill Til death with daunting dart hath conquer'd thee Then must thou leaue behind thy Monarchie With great assaults my selfe I haue subdude In all respects I haue my hearts desire With a contented minde I am endude To higher state I neuer wil aspire More like a Prince then any poore Esquire I leade my life and sith my state is such Aske thou of me for I can giue thee much All dasht with dread mee thought in fuming heate He said departing thence in hast with speede If I were not Alexander the Great I would become Diogenes indeed Who leades his life all void of wofull dread He hath the wealth which I cannot obtaine I haue the wealth which wise men do disdaine I liue in feare I languish all in dread Wealth is my woe the causer of my care With feare of death I am so ill bestead That restlesse I much like the hunted Hare Or as the canuist Kite doth feare the snare Ten hundred cares haue brought me to the baie Ten thousand snares for this my life men laie When Philip he of Macedon the King One Realme me left I could not be content Desier prickt mee to an other thing To win the world it was my whole intent Which done an other world to win I ment When least I had then most I had of blesse Now all the world and all vnquietnesse No woe to want of contentation No wealth to want of riches and renowne For this is seene in euery nation The highest trees be soonest blowen downe Ten kings do die before one clubbish Clowne Diogenes in quiet Tunne doth rest When Caesar is with carking care distrest Wherewith me thought he was departed quite And Morpheus that sluggish God of sleepe Did leaue my limmes wherewith I stood vpright Deuising long what profit I could reape Of this my dreame which plainly did expresse That neither want nor wealth doth make mans blesse Who hath the meane with a contented minde Most perfect blisse his God hath him assignde But I who liu'd a crowned King of late And now am forc'd of thee to beg my bread I cannot be content with this estate I lothe to liue I would I wretch were dead Despaier she doth feede me with decay And patience is fled and flowne away Doe thou therefore O Heardsman play thy part Take thou this blade and thrust it to my hart O
Baldwine M. Ferrers and others the composers of these Tragedies who continuing their methode which was by way of dialogue or interlocution betwixt euery Tragedie gaue it onely place before the Duke of Buckinghams complaint which order I since hauing altered haue placed the Induction in the beginning with euery Tragedie following according to succession and the iust computation of time which before was not obserued and lest any one thinke me enuious of others deserts I haue subscribed the names of all such as I could heare of vnder such Tragedies as each one particularlie hath written which at the request of the Printer I haue briefely perused as the former In which friendly Reader if I haue done amisse I craue pardon for my ouersight hoping if paines will in stead of penance pacifie thee to yeeld thee satisfaction and content in my additions following to which I refer thee R. N. Mr. SACKVILS INDVCTION THe wrathfull winter hastning on apace With blustring blasts had all ybard the treene And old Saturnus with his frosty face With chilling cold had pearst the tender greene The mantles rent wherein enwrapped beene The gladsome groues that now lay ouerthrowne The tapets torne and euery tree downe blowne The soile that erst so seemly was to seene Was all despoyled of her beauties hew And soote fresh flowers wherewith the summers Queene Had clad the earth now Boreas blasts downe blew And small fowles flocking in their fong did rew The winters wrath wherewith ech thing defaste In woefull wise bewaild the summer past Hawthorne had lost his motley liuery The naked twigs were shiuering all for cold And dropping downe the teares abundantly Ech thing me thought with weeping eye me told The cruell season bidding mee with hold My selfe within for I was gotten out Into the fields whereas I walkt about When loe the night with mistie mantels spred Gan darke the day and dim the azure skies And Venus in her message Hermes sped To bloudy Mars to will him not to rise While she her selfe approcht in speedy wise And Virgo hiding her disdainfull brest With Thetis now had laid her downe to rest Whiles Scorpio dreading Sagittarius dart Whose bowe prest bent in fight the string had slipt Downe slide into the Ocean floud apart The Beare that in the Irish seas had dipt His grizly feet with speed from thence he whipt For Thetis hasting from the Virgins bed Pursude the Beare that ere she came was fled And Phaeton now neere reaching to his race With glistring beames gold streaming where they bent Was prest to enter in his resting place Erythius that in the cart first went Had euen now attain'd his iourneys stent And fast declining hid away his head While Titan coucht him in his purple bed And pale-fac'd Cinthea with her borowed light Beginning to supplie her brothers place Was past the Noonesteed sixe degrees in sight When sparkling starres amid the heauens face With twinkling light shone on the earth apace That while they brought about the nights black chare The darke had dim'd the day ere I was ware And sorrowing I to see the summer flowers The liuely greene the lusty lease forlorne The sturdie trees so shattred with the showers The fields so fade that florisht so beforne It taught me well all earthly things be borne To dye the death for nought long time may last The summers beautie yeelds to winters blast Then looking vpward to the heauens leames With nights bright starres thick powdred euery where Which erst so glistred with the golden streames That chearfull Phoebus spred downe from his sphere Beholding darke oppressing day so neere The sudden sight reduced to my mind The sundry changes that in earth we find That musing on this worldly wealth in thought Which coms and goes more faster then we see The flickering flame that with the fire is wrought My busie minde presented vnto me Such fall of Peeres as in the realme had be That oft I wisht some would their woes descriue To warne the rest whom Fortune left aliue And strait forth stalking with redoubled pace For that I saw the night drew on so fast In black all clad there fell before my face A piteous wight whom woe had all forewast Forth on her eyes the crystall teares out brast And sighing sore her hands she wrung and fold Tare all her haire that ruth was to behold Her body small forwithered and forespent As is the stalke that summers drought opprest Her wealked face with woeful teares be sprent Her colour pale at it seemed her best In woe and plaint reposed was her rest And as the stone that drops of water weares So dented were her cheekes with fall of teares Her eies full swollen with flowing streames aflote Where with her lookes throwne vp full piteously Her forcelesse hands together oft she smote With dolefull shrikes that eckoed in the skye Whose plaint such sighs did straight accompany That in my doome was neuer man did see A wight but halfe so woe begone as shee I stood agast beholding all her plight Tweene dread and dolour so distraind in hart That while my haires vpstarted with the sight The teares outstreamd for sorow of her smart But when I saw no end that could appart The deadly dole which shee so sore did make With dolefull voice then thus to her I spake Vnwrap thy woes what euer wight thou bee And stint in time to spill thy selfe with plaint Tell what thou art and whence for well I see Thou canst not dure with sorrow thus attaint And with that word of sorrow all forfaint She looked vp and prostrate as she lay With piteous sound lo thus she gan to say Alas I wretch whom thus thou seest distrain'd With wasting woes that neuer shall aslake Sorrow I am in endlesse torments pain'd Among the Furies in th' infernall lake Where Pluto God of Hell so grizly black Doth hold his throne and Laetheus deadly tast Doth reue remembrance of each thing forepast Whence come I am the drery destiny And lucklesse lot for to bemone of those Whom Fortune in this maze of misery Of wretched chance most wofull Mirors chose That when thou seest how lightly they did lose Their pomp their power and that they thought most sure Thou mayst soone deeme no earthly ioy may dure Whose rufull voice no sooner had out-brayed Those wofull words wherewith she sorrowed so But out alas she shright and neuer stayed Fell downe and all to dasht her selfe for wo. The cold pale dread my limmes gan ouergo And I so sorrowed at her sorrowes eft That what with griefe and feare my wits were reft I stretcht my selfe and straight my heart reuiues That dread and dolour earst did so appale Like him that with the seruent feuer striues When sicknesse seekes his castell health to scale With gathred sprites so forst I feare t'auale And rearing her with anguish all foredone My sprits return'd and then I thus begon Sorrow alas sith Sorrow is thy name And that
to thee this drere doth well pertaiue In vaine it were to seeke to cease the same But as a man himselfe with sorrow slaine So I alas doe comfort thee in paine That here in sorrow art foresunke so deepe That at thy sight I can but sigh and weepe I had no sooner spoken of a stike But that the storme so rumbled in her brest As Eolus could neuer rore the like And showres downe rain'd from her eyes so fast That all bedreint the place till at the last Well eased they the dolour of her mind As rage of raine doth swage the stormie wind For forth she pased in her fearefull tale Come come quoth she and see what I shall show Come heare the plaining and the bitter bale Of worthy men by Fortunes ouerthrow Come thou and see them rewing all in row They were but shades that erst in mind thou rold Come come with me thine eyes shall them behold What could these words but make me more agast To heare her tell whereon I mus'd while ere So was I maz'd therewith till at the last Musing vpon her words and what they were All suddainly well lessoned was my feare For to my mind returned how she teld Both what she was and where her wun she held Whereby I knew that she a Goddesse was And therewithall resorted to my mind My thought that late presented me the glas Of brittle state of cares that here we find Of thousand woes to silly men assignd And how she now bid me come and behold To see with eye that earst in thought I told Flat downe I fell and with all reuerence Adored her perceiuing now that shee A Goddesse sent by godly prouidence In earthly shape thus shew'd her selfe to me To waile and rue this worlds vncertainty And while I honourd thus her Godheads might With plaining voice these words to me she shright I shall thee guide first to the griesly lake And thence vnto the blisfull place of rest Where thou shalt see and heare the plaint they make That whilome here bare swinge among the best This shalt thou see but great is the vnrest That thou must bide before thou canst attaine Vnto the dreadfull place where these remaine And with these words as I vpraised stood And gan to follow her that straight forth paste Ere I was ware into a desert wood We now were come where hand in hand imbraste She led the way and through the thicke so traste As but I had bene guided by her might It was no way for any mortall wight But loe while thus amid the desert darke We passed on with steps and pace vnmeete A rumbling rore confus'd with howle and barke Of Dogs shooke all the ground vnder our feete And strooke the din within our eares so deepe As halfe distraught vnto the ground I fell Besought returne and not to visit hell But she forthwith vplifting mee a pace Remou'd my dread and with a stedfast minde Bad me come on for here was now the place The place where we our trauailes end should finde Wherewith I rose and to the place assingde Astond I stalkt when straight we approched neere The dreadfull place that you will dread to heare And hideous hole all vaste withouten shape Of endlesse depth orewhelm'd with ragged stone With ougly mouth and griesly iawes doth gape And to our sight confounds it selfe in one Heere entred we and yeeding forth anone A dreadfull lothly lake we might discerne As blacke as pitch that cleped is Auerne A deadly gulfe where nought but rubbish growes With foule black swelth in thickned lumps that lies Which vp in th' aire such stinking vapors throwes That ouer there may flie no fowle but dies Choakt with the noysome lauours that arise Hither we come whence forth we still did pace In dreadfull feare amid the dreadfull place And first within the porch and iawes of hell Sate deepe Remorse of conscience all besprent With teares and to her selfe oft would she tell Her wretchednesse and cursing neuer stent To sob and sigh but euer thus lament With thoughtfull care as she that all in vaine Would weare and waste continually in paine Her eyes vnstedfast rolling here and there Whurl'd on each place as place that vengeance brought So was her mind continually in feare Tossed and tormented with tedious thought Of those detested crimes which she had wrought With dreadfull cheere and lookes throwne to the skie Wishing for death and yet she could not die Next saw we Dread all trembling how he shooke With foote vncertaine profered here and there Benum'd of speech and with a ghastly looke Searcht euery place all pale and dead for feare His cap borne vp with staring of his heare Soyn'd and amaz'd at his owne shade for dreed And fearing greater dangers then was need And next within the entrie of this lake Sate fell Reuenge gnashing her teeth for ire Deuising meanes how she may vengeance take Neuer in rest till she haue her desire But frets within so farforth with the fire Of wreaking flames that now determines she To die by death or veng'd by death to be When fell Reuenge with bloudie foule pretence Had shew'd her selfe as next in order set With trembling limbes we softly parted thence Till in our eyes another sight we met When from my heart a sigh forthwith I fet Ruing alas vpon the wofull plight Of Miserie that next appear'd in sight His face was leane and somedeale pin'd away And eke his hands consumed to the bone But what his bodie was I cannot say For on his carkas rayment had he none Saue clouts and patches pieced one by one With staffe in hand and scrip on shoulder cast His chiefe defence against the winters blast His food for most was wilde fruits of the tree Vnlesse sometime some crums fell to his share Which in his wallet long God workepthe As one the which full daintily would faire His drinke the running streame his cup the bare Of his palme closde his bed the hard cold ground To this poore life was Miserie ybound Whose wretched state when we had well beheld With tender ruth on him and on his feeres In thoughtfull cares forth then our pace we held And by and by another shape appeeres Of greedie Care still brushing vp the breers His knuckles knob'd his flesh deepe dented in With tawed hands and hard ytanned skin The morrow gray no sooner hath begun To spread his light euen peeping in our eyes When he is vp and to his worke yrun But let the nights blacke mistie mantles rise And with foule darke neuer so much disguise The faire bright day yet ceaseth he no while But hath his candles to prolong his toile By him lay heauie Sleepe cosin of Death Flat on the ground and still as any stone A very corps saue yeelding forth a breath Small keepe tooke he whom Fortune frowned on Or whom she lifted vp into the throne Of high renowne but as a liuing death So dead aliue of life he
towne so bent I could not lin but I must there lament And that the more fith dest'ny was so sterne As force perforce there might no force auaile But she must fall and by her fall we learne That cities towers wealth world and all shall quaile No manhood might nor nothing mought preuaile All were there prest full many a Prince and Peere And many a Knight that sold his death full deere Not worthie Hector worthiest of them all Her hope her ioy his force is now for nought O Troy Troy there is no boote but bale The hugie horse within thy walles is brought Thy turrets fall thy Knights that whilome fought In armes amid the field are slaine in bed Thy gods defil'd and all thy honor dead The flames vprising and cruelly they creepe From wall to roofe till all to cinders wast Some fire the houses where the wretches sleepe Some rush in heere some run in there as fast In euery where or sword or fire they tast The wals are torne the towers whurl'd to the ground There is no mischiefe but may there be found Cassandra yet there saw I how they haled From Pallis house with spercled tresse vndone Her wrists fast bound and with Greekes rout empaled And Priam eke in vaine how he did runne To armes whom Pyrrhus with despite hath done To cruel death and bath'd him in the baine Of his sonnes blood before the altar slaine But how can I describe the dolefull sight That in the shield so liuely faire did shine Sith in this world I thinke was neuer wight Could haue set forth the halfe not halfe so fine I can no more but tell how there is seene Faire Ilium fall in burning red gledes downe And from the soile great Troy Neptunus towne Here from when scarce I could mine eyes withdraw That fil'd with teares as doth the springing well We passed on so far forth till we saw Rude Acheron a lothsome lake to tell That boyles and bubs vp swelth as blacke as hell Where grieslie Charon at their fixed tide Still ferries ghosts vnto the farther side The aged God no sooner Sorrow spied But hasting straight vnto the bancke apace With hollow call vnto the rout he cried To swarue apart and giue the Goddesse place Straight it was done when to the shoare we pace Where hand in hand as wee then linked fast Within the boate wee are together plaste And forth we lanch full fraughted to the brinke When with th' vnwonted waight the rusty keele Began to cracke as if the same should sinke We hoise vp mast and saile that in a while We fet the shoare where scarsely we had while For to arriue but that we heard anone A three sound barke confounded all in one We had not long forth past but that we saw Blacke Cerberus the hideous hound of hell With bristles reard and with a three mouth'd Iaw Foredinning th' aire with his horrible yell Out of the deepe darke caue where he did dwell The Goddesse straight he knew and by and by He peast and couched while that we past by Thence come we to the horrour and the hell The large greate Kingdomes and the dreadful raigne Of Pluto in his throne where he did dwell The wide waste places and the hugie plaine The wailings shrikes and sundry sorts of paine The sighs the sobs the deepe and deadly groane Earth aire and all resounding plaint and moane Thence did we passe the three-fold emperie To th' vtmost bounds where Radamanthus raignes Where proud folke waile there woefull miserie Where dreadfull din of thousand dragging chaines And balefull shriekes of ghosts in deadly paines Tortur'd eternally are heard most brim Through silent shades of night so darke and dim From hence vpon our way we forward passe And through the groues and vncoth paths we goe Which leade vnto the Cyclops walles of brasse And where that maine-broad flood for aye doth floe Which parts the gladsome fields from place of woe Whence none shall euer passe t' Elizium plaine Or from Elizium euer turne againe With Sorrow for my guide as there I stood A troope of men the most in armes bedight In tumult clusterd 'bout both sides the flood ' Mongst whom who were ordaind t'eternall night Or who to blissefull peace and sweet delight I wot not well it seem'd that they were all Such as by deaths vntimely stroke did fall Some headlesse were some body face and hands With shamefull wounds despoil'd in euery part Some strangled some that dide in captiue bands Some smothred drown'd some stricken through the hart With fatall steele all drown'd in deadly smart Of hastned death with shrikes sobs sighs and teares Did tell the woes of their forepassed yeares We staid vs straight and with a rufull feare Beheld this heauie sight while from mine eies The vapored teares downe stilled here and there And Sorrow eke in far more wofull wise Tooke on with plaint vp heauing to the skies Her wretched hands that with her cry the rout Gan all in heapes to swarme vs round about Loe here quoth Sorrow Princes of renowne That whilome sate on top of Fortunes wheele Now laid full low like wretches whurled downe Euen with one frowne that staid but with a smile And now behold the thing that thou erewhile Saw only in thought and what thou now shalt heare Recount the same to Kesar King and Peere Then first came Henry Duke of Buckingham His cloake of blacke all pild and quite forworne Wringing his hands and Fortune oft doth blame Which of a Duke hath made him now her skorne With gastly lookes as one in maner lorne Oft spred his armes stretcht hands he ioines as fast With rufull cheare and vapored eyes vpcast His cloake he rent his manly brest he beat His haire all torne about the place it lay My heart so molt to see his griefe so great As feelingly me thought it dropt away His eyes they whurld about withouten stay With stormy sighes the place did so complaine As if his heart at each had burst in twaine Thrice he began to tell his dolefull tale And thrice the sighs did swallow vp his voice At each of which he shriked so withall As though the heauens riued with the noise Till at the last recouering his voice Supping the teares that all his brest beraind On cruell Fortune weeping thus he plaind FINIS HOW THE TWO ROgers surnamed Mortimers for their sundry vices ended their liues vnfortunately the one An. 1329. the other 1387. AMong the riders of the rolling wheele That lost their holds Baldwine forget not mee Whose fatall thred false Fortune needs would reele Ere it were twisted by the sisters three All folke be fraile their blisses brittle bee For proofe whereof although none other were Suffice may I Sir Roger Mortimer Not he that was in Edwards dayes the third Whom Fortune brought to boote and eft to bale With loue of whom the king so much she sturd That none but he was heard in any tale And whiles
these miracles wrought The King inflamed with in dignation That to such bondage he should be brought Suppressing the ire of his inward thought Studied nought else but how that he might Be highly reuenged of this high despite Aggreeu'd was also this latter offence With former matter his ire to renue For once at Windsore I brought to his presence The Maior of London with all his retinue To aske a reckoning of the Realmes reuenue And the souldiers of Brest by me were made bold Their wages to claime when the towne was sold These griefes remembred with all the remnant Hourded in his hart hate out of measure Yet openly in shew made he no femblant By word or by deed to beare displeasure But loue dayes dissembled do neuer indure And whoso trusteth a foe reconcild Is for the most part alwaies beguild For as fire ill quencht will vp at a start And sores not well salued doe breake out of new So hatred hidden in an irefull hart Where it hath had long season to brew Vpon euery occasion doth easily renew Not failing at last if it be not let To pay large vsury besides the due det Euen so it fared by this friendship fained Outwardly sound and inwardly rotten For when the Kings fauour in seeming was gained All old displeasures forgiuen and forgotten Euen then at a suddaine the shaft was shotten Which pierced my heart void of mistrust Alas that a Prince should be so vniust For lying at Plashey my selfe to repose By reason of sicknesse which held me full sore The King espying me apart from those With whom I confedered in band before Thought it not meete to tract the time more But glad to take me at such auantage Came to salute me with friendly visage Who hauing a band bound to his bent By colour of kindnesse to visite his Eame Tooke time to accomplish his cruell intent And in a small vessell downe by the streame Conueid me to Calis out of the Realme Where without processe or doome of my Peeres Not nature but murder abridged my yeeres This act was odious to God and to man Yet rigour to cloake in habit of reason By craftie compasse deuise they can Articles nine of right hainous treason But doome after death is sure out of season For who euer saw so strange a president As execution done before iudgement Thus hate harboured in depth of minde By sought occasion burst out of new And cruelty abused the law of kinde When that the Nephue the Vncle flew Alas King Richard sore mayst thou rue Which by this fact preparedst the way Of thy hard destiny to hasten the day For bloud axeth bloud as guerdon due And vengeance for vengeance is iust reward O righteous God thy iudgements are true For looke what measure we other award The same for vs againe is prepar'd Take heed ye Princes by examples past Bloud will haue bloud either first or last G. Ferrers HOW THE LORD MOWbrey promoted by King Richard the second to the state of a Duke was by him banished the Realme the yeare of Christ 1398. and after died miserablie in exile THough sorrow and shame abash me to rehearse My lothsome life and death of due deserued Yet that the paines thereof may other pearce To leaue the like lest they be likewise serued Ah Baldwine marke and see how that I swerued Dissembling enuy and flattery bane that bee Of all their hostes haue shew'd their power on mee I blame not Fortune though she did her part And true it is she can do little harme She guideth goods she hampreth not the heart A minde well bent is safe from euery charme Vice only vice with her stout strengthlesse arme Doth cause the heart from good to ill encline Which I alas doe finde too true by mine For where by birth I came of noble race The Mowbreys heire a famous house and old Fortune I thanke gaue me so good a grace That of my Prince I had what so I would Yet neither was to other greatly hold For I thought flattery wrong'd his want on youth And his fond trust augmented my vntruth He made me first the Earle of Notingham And Marshall of the Realme in which estate The Peeres and people iointly to me came With sore complaint against them that of late Bad officers had brought the King in hate By making sale of Iustice right and Lawe And liuing naught without all dread or awe I gaue them aid these euils to redresse And went to London with an army strong And caus'd the King against his will oppresse By cruell death all such as led him wrong The Lord chiefe Iustice suffered these among So did the Steward of his household head The Chancellor scapte for he afore had fled These wicked men thus from the King remou'd Who best vs pleas'd succeeded in their place For which both King and Commons much vs lou'd But chiefly I with all stood high in grace The King ensu'd my rede in euery case Whence selfe-loue bred for glory maketh prowd And pride aye seeks alone to be allow'd Wherefore to th' end I might alone inioy The Kings good will I made his lust my lawe And where of late I labour'd to destroy Such flattering folke as thereto stood in awe Now learned I among the rest to clawe For pride is such if it be kindly caught As stroyeth good and stirres vp euery naught Pride pricketh men to flatter for the pray Toppresse and poll for maint'nance of the same To malice such as match vneths it may And to be briefe pride doth the heart inflame To fire what mischiefe any fraud may frame And still at length the euils by it wrought Confound the worker and bring him to nought Behold in me due proofe of euery part For pride first forced me my Prince to flatter So much that whatsoeuer pleas'd his heart Were 't nere so ill I thought a lawfull matter Which causd the Lords afresh against him clatter Because he had his holds beyond sea sold And seene his souldiers of their wages pold Though vnto all these ils I were a frend Yet such was luck that each man deemed no The Duke of Glocester for me did send With other Lords whose hearts did bleede for woe To see the Realme so fast to ruine goe In fault whereof they said the two Dukes were The one of Yorke the other Lancaster On whose remoue from being about the King We all agreed and sware a solemne oth And whilst the rest prouided for this thing I flatterer I to win the praise of troth Wretch that I was brake faith and promise both For I bewraied to th' King their whole intent For which vnwares they all were tane and shent Thus was the warder of the Common weale The Duke of Gloster guiltlesse made away With other moe more wretch I so to deale Who through vntruth their trust did ill betray Yet by this meanes obtained I may pray Of King and Dukes I found for this such fauour As
some write in his sicknes last Said as it were by way of prophecie How that the Diuell a Darnell graine had cast Among his kin to encrease enmity Which should remaine in their posterity Till mischiefe and murder had spent them all Not leauing one to pisse against the wall And yet from him in order did succeed In England here of crowned Kings fourteene Of that surname and of that line and seed With Dukes and Earles and many a noble Queene The number such as all the world would weene So many impes could neuer so be spent But some heire male should be of that descent Which to be true if any stand in doubt Because I meane not further to digresse Let him pursue the histories throughout Of English Kings whom practise did oppresse And he shall find the cause of their distresse From first to last vnkindly to begin Alwaies by those that next were of the kin Was not Richard of whom I spake before A rebell plaine vntill his father died And Iohn likewise an enmy euermore To Richard againe and for a rebell tried After whose death it cannot be denied Against all right this Iohn most cruelly His brothers children caused for to die Arthur and Isabell I meane that were Ieffreies children then duke of Britaine Henries third sonne by one degree more neere Then was this Iohn as stories shew most plaine Which two children were famisht or els slaine By Iohn their Eame cald Saunzterre by name Of whose foule act all countries speake great shame Edward and Richard second both by name Kings of this Land fell downe by fatall fate What was the cause that Princes of such fame Did leese at last their honour life and state Nothing at all but discord and debate Which when it haps in kinred or in bloud Erynnis rage was neuer halfe so wood Be sure therefore ye Kings and Princes all That concord in Kingdoms is chiefe assurance And that your families doe neuer fall But where discord doth lead the doubtfull dance With busie brawles and turnes of variance Where malice is minstrel the pipe ill report The maske mischiefe and so ends the sport But now to come to my purpose againe VVhilst I my charge applied in England My brother in France long time did remaine Cardinal Beauford tooke proudly in hand In causes publique against me to stand VVho of great malice so much as he might Sought in all things to doe me despite VVhich proud prelate to me was bastard Eame Sonne to Duke Iohn of Gaunt as they did faine VVho being made high Chancellour of the Realme Not like a Priest but like a Prince did raigne Nothing wanting which might his pride maintaine Bishop besides of VVinchester he was And Cardinall of Rome which Angels brought to passe Not Gods Angels but Angels of old Gold Lift him aloft in whom no cause there was By iust desert so high to be extold Riches except whereby this golden asse At home and abroad all matters brought to passe Namely at Rome hauing no meane but that To purchase there his crimz in Cardinall hat Which thing the King my father him forbad Plainly saying that he could not abide Within his Realme a subiect to be had His Princes peere yet such was this mans pride That he forth with after my father di'd The King then yong obtained of the Pope That honor high which erst he could not hope Whose proud attempts because that I withstood My bound dutie the better to acquite This holy father waxed well neere wood Of meere malice deuising day and night To worke to me dishonor and despight Whereby there fell betweene vs such a iarre As in this land was like a ciuill warre My brother Iohn which lay this while in France Heard of this hurle and past the seas in haste By whose trauell this troublesome distance Ceased a while but nerethelesse in waste For rooted hate will hardly be displaste Out of high hearts and namely where debate Happeneth amongst great persons of estate For like as a match doth lie and smoulder Long time before it commeth to the traine But yet when fire hath caught in the poulder No art is able the flames to restraine Euen so the sparkes of enuie and disdaine Out of the smoke burst forth in such a flame That France and England yet may rue the same So when of two Realmes the regiment royall Betweene brothers was parted equally One placed in France for affaires Martiall And I at home for ciuill policie To serue the state we both did so applie As honor and same to both did encrease To him for the warre to me for the peace Whence enuie sprang and specially because This proud prelate could not abide a Peere Within the land to rule the state by lawes Wherefore sifting my life and acts most neere He neuer ceast vntill as you shall heare By practise foule of him and his allies My death was wrought in most vnworthie wise And first he sought my doings to defame By rumors false which he and his did sow Letters and billes to my reproch and shame He did deuise and all about bestow Whereby my troth in doubt should daily grow In England first and afterward in France Mouing all meanes to bring me to mischance One quarell was that where by common law Murder and theft been punisht all alike So as manslayers which bloodie blades do draw Suffer no more then he that doth but pike Me thought the same no order politike In setting paines to make no difference Betweene the lesser and greater offence I being seene somewhat in ciuill law The rules thereof reputed much bitter Wherefore to keepe offenders more in awe Like as the fault was smaller or greater So set I paines more easier or bitter Weghing the qualitie of euery offence And so according pronounced sentence Among'st my other Delicta Iuuentutis Whil'st rage of youth my reason did subdue I must confesse as the very truth is Driuen by desire fond fancies to ensue A thing I did whereof great trouble grew Abusing one to my no small rebuke Which wife was then to Iohn of Brabant Duke Called she was Ladie Iaquet the faire Delitefull in loue like Helene of Troy To the Duke of Bauier sole daughter and heire Her did I marrie to my great annoy Yet for a time this dame I did enioy With her whole lands withholding them by force Till Martin the Pope betweene vs made diuorce Yet all these blasts not able were to moue The anchor strong whereby my ship did stay Some other shift to seeke him did behoue Whereto ere long ill Fortune made the way Which finally was cause of my decay And cruell death contriued by my foes Which fell out thus as now I shall disclose Eleanor my wife my Duchesse only deare I know not how but as the nature is Of women all aye curious to enquire Of things to come though I confesse in this Her fault not small and that she did amisse By witches skill which
losse of many a good mans life And therefore Baldwine teach men to discerne VVhich prophesies be false and which be true And for a ground this lesson let them learne That all be false which are deuised new The age of things are iudged by the hue All riddles made by letters names or armes Are yong and false far worse then witches charmes I know thou musest at this lore of mine How I no studient should haue learned it And dost impute it to the fume of wine That stirres the tongue and sharpneth vp the wit But heark a friend did teach me euery whit A man of mine in all good knowledge rife For which he guiltlesse lost his learned life This man abode my seruant many a day And still in study set his whole delight Which taught me more then I could beare away Of euery arte and by his searching sight Of things to come he would foreshew as right As I rehearse the pageants that were past Such perfectnes God gaue him at the last He knew my brother Richard was the Bore Whose tusks should teare my brothers boies and me And gaue me warning therof long before But wit nor warning can in no degree Let things to hap which are ordaind to bee Witnesse the painted Lionesse which slue A Prince emprisoned Lions to eschewe He told me eke my yoke-fellow should dy Wherein would God he had been no diuine And she being dead I should woo earnestly A spouse wherat my brother would repine And find the means she should be none of mine For which such malice should among vs rise As saue my death no treaty should decise And as he said so all things came to passe For when King Henry and his sonne were slaine And euery broile so throughly quenched was That then my brother quietly did raigne I reconciled to his loue againe In prosperous health did lead a quiet life For fiue yeares space with honours laden rife And to augment the fulnesse of my blisse Two louely children by my wife I had But froward hap whose maner euer is In chiefest ioy to make the happie sad Bemixt my sweet with bitternes too bad For while I swam in ioyes on euery side My louing wife my chiefest Iewel dide Whose lack when sole I had bewail'd a yeare The Duke of Burgoines wife dame Margaret My louing sister willing me to cheere To wed againe did kindly me entreate And wish'd me matched with a maiden nete A step-daughter of hers Duke Charles his heire A noble damsell yong discreete and faire To whose desire because I did incline The King my brother doubting my degree Through Prophesies against vs did repine And at no hand would to our willes agree For which such rancour pierst both him and mee That face to face we fell at flat defiance But were appeas'd by friends of our alliance Howbeit my mariage vtterly was dasht VVherein because my seruant said his mind A meane was sought whereby he might be lasht And for they could no crime against him find They forg'd a sault the peoples eyes to blind And told he should by sorceries pretend To bring the King vnto a speedie end Of all which points he was as innocent As is the babe that lacketh kindly breath And yet condemned by the Kings assent Most cruelly put to a shamefull death This fir'd my heart as foulder doth the heath So that I could not but exclame and crie Against so great and open iniurie For this I was commanded to the Tower The King my brother was so cruell harted And when my brother Richard saw the hower Was come for which his hart so sore had smarted He thought it best take time before it parted For he endeuour'd to attaine the Crowne From which my life must needs haue held him downe For though the King within a while had died As needs he must he surfaited so oft I must haue had his children in my guide So Richard should beside the Crowne haue coft This made him ply the while the wax was soft To finde a meane to bring me to an end For realmrape spareth neither kin nor frend And when he saw how reason can asswage Through length of time my brother Edwards ire With forged tales he set him newe in rage Till at the last they did my death conspire And though my truth sore troubled their desire For all the world did know mine innocence Yet they agreed to charge me with offence And couertly within the Tower they calde A quest to giue such verdit as they should Who what with feare and what with fauour thrald Durst not pronounce but as my brethren would And though my false accusers neuer could Proue ought they said I guiltlesse was condemned Such verdits passe where iustice is contemned This feate atchieud yet could they not for shame Cause me be kild by any common way But like a wolfe the tyrant Richard came My brother nay my butcher I may say Vnto the Tower when all men were away Saue such as were prouided for the seate Who in this wise did strangely me entreate His purpose was with a prepared string To strangle me but I bestird me so That by no force they could me therto bring Which caused him that purpose to forgo Howbeit they bound me whether I would or no And in a But of Malmesey standing by New christned me because I should not cry Thus drownd I was yet for no due desert Except the zeale of Iustice be a crime False prophecies bewitcht King Edwards hart My brother Richard to the Crowne would clime Note these three causes in thy rufull rime And boldly say they did procure my fall And death of deaths most strange and hard of all And warne all Princes prophecies t' eschue That are too dark and doubtfull to be knowne What God hath said that cannot but ensue Though all the world would haue it ouerthrowne When men suppose by fetches of their owne To fly their fate they further on the same Like quenching blasts which oft reuiue the flame Will Princes therefore not to thinke by murder They may auoid what prophecies behight But by their meanes their mischiefes they may furder And cause Gods vengeance heauier to alight Woe worth the wretch that striues with Gods foresight They are not wise but wickedly doe erre Which thinke ill deedes due destinies may barre For if we thinke that prophecies be true We must beleeue it cannot but betide Which God in them foresheweth shall ensue For his decrees vnchanged doe abide Which to be true my brethren both haue tried Whose wicked workes warne Princes to detest That others harmes may keepe them better blest HOW KING EDWARD THE FOVRTH THROVGH HIS SVRFETING and vntemperate life suddenly died in the middest of his prosperitie the ninth of Aprill Anno 1483. MIseremini mei ye that be my friends This world hath form'd me downe to fall How may I endure when that euery thing ends What creature is borne to be eternall Now there
lings brest Whom not desire of raigne did driue to field But mothers pride who longd the Realme to wield But straight my death shall shew my worthie meed If first to one other murther I proceed VVhile Edward liued dissembled discord lurked In double hearts yet so his reuerence worked But when succeeding tender feeble age Gaue open gap to tyrants rushing rage I holpe the Boare and Bucke to captiuate Lord Riuers Gray sir Thomas Vaughan and Hawte If land would helpe the sea well earnd that ground It selfe to be with conquering waues surround Their speedie death by priuie dome procured At Pomfret tho my life short while endured My selfe I slue when them I damned to death At once my throate I riued and reft them breath For that selfe day before or neere the hower That withred Atropos nipt the springing flower VVith violent hand of their forth running life My head and body in Tower twinde like knife By this my paterne all ye peeres beware Oft hangth he himselfe who others weenth to snare Spare to be each others butcher Feare the Kite VVho soareth aloft while frog and mouse do fight In ciuil combat grappling void of feare Of forreine foe at once al both to beare Which plainer by my pitied plaint to see A while anew your listning lend to mee Too true it is two sundrie assemblies kept At Crosbies place and Baynards Castle set The Dukes at Crosbies but at Baynards we The one to crowne a king the other to be Suspicious is secession of foule frends When eithers drift to th' others mischief tends I fear'd the end my Catesbies being there Discharg'd all doubts Him held I most entire Whose great preserment by my meanes I thought Some spurre to pay the thankfulnesse hee ought The trust he ought me made me trust him so That priuie he was both to my weale and wo. My hearts one halfe my chest of confidence Mine only trust my ioy dwelt in his presence I lou'd him Baldwine as the apple of mine eye I loath'd my life when Catesby would me die Flie from thy chanel Thames forsake thy streames Leaue the Adamant Iron Phoebus lay thy beames Cease heauenly Sphears at last your weary warke Betray your charge returne to Chaos darke At least some ruthlesse Tiger hang her whelp My Catesby so with some excuse to help And me to comfort that I alone ne seeme Of all dame natures workes left in extreeme A Golden treasure is the tried frend But who may Gold from Counterfaits defend Trust not too soone nor yet too soone mistrust With th' one thy selfe with th' other thy friend thou hurt'st VVho twin'th betwixt and steareth the golden meane Nor rashly loueth nor mistrusteth in vaine In friendship soueraigne it is as Mithridate Thy friend to loue as one whom thou maist hate Of tickle credit ne had bin the mischiefe What needed Virbius miracle doubled life Credulity surnamed first the Aegean Seas Mistrust doth reason in the trustiest raise Suspicious Romulus stain'd his Walls first reard With brothers bloud whom for light leape he feard So not in brotherhood ielousie may be borne The ielous Cuckold weares the Infamous Horne A beast may preach by triall not foresight Could I haue shund light credit nere had light The dreaded death vpon my guilty head But Fooles aye wont to learne by after read Had Catesby kept vnstaind the truth he plight Yet had yet enioied me and I yet the light All Derbies doubts I cleared with his name I knew no harme could hap me without his blame But see the fruites of tickle light beleefe The ambitious Dukes corrupt the Traitor theefe To grope mee if allured I would assent To bin a Partner of their cursed intent Whereto when as by no meanes friendship vail'd By Tyrant force behold they me assail'd And summond shortly a Counsell in the Tower Of Iune the fifteenth at appointed hower Alas are Counsels wried to catch the good No place is now exempt from sheading bloud Sith counsels that were carefull to preserue The guiltelesse good are meanes to make them starue VVhat may not mischiefe of Mad man abuse Religious cloake some one to vice doth chuse And maketh God Protectour of his crime Omonstrous world well ought we wish thy fine The fatall skies roll on the blackest day VVhen doubled bloudshed my bloud must repay Others none forceth To me sir Thomas Haward As spurre is buckled to prouoke me froward Derbie who feared the parted sittings yore Whether much more he knew by experience hoare Or better minded clearelier truth could see At midnight darke this message sends to mee Hastings away in sleepe the gods foreshow By dreadfull dreame fell fates vnto vs two Me thought a Bore with tuske so raced our throate That both our shoulders of the blood did smoake Arise to horse straight homeward let vs hie And seeth our foe we cannot match O flie Of Chanteclere you learne dreames sooth to know Thence wisemen construe more then the cock doth crow While thus he spake I held within mine arme Shores wife the tender piece to keepe me warme Fie on adulterie fie on leacherous lust Marke in me ye Nobles all Gods iudgements iust A Pander Murderer and Adulterer thus Only such death I die as I ne blush Now lest my dame might thinke appall'd my hart With eager mood vp in my bed I start And is thy Lord quoth I a Sorcerer A wiseman now become a dreame reader What though so Chanteclere crowed I reck it not On my part pleadeth as well dame Partelot Vniudg'd hang'th yet the case betwixt them tway Nay was his dreame cause of his hap I say Shall dreaming doubts from Prince my seruing slack Nay then might Hastings life and liuing lacke He parteth I sleepe my mind surcharg'd with sinne As Phoebus beames by mistie cloud kept in Ne could misgiue ne dreame of my mishap As blocke I tumbled to mine enemies trap Securitie causelesse through my fained frend Reft me foresight of my approching end So Catesby clawed me as when the Cat doth play Dallying with Mouse whom straight she meanes to slay The morow come the latest light to me On Palfray mounted to the Tower I hie Accompanied with that Haward my mortall foe To slaughter led thou God didst suffer so O deepe dissemblers honoring with your cheare Whom in hid heart you trayterously teare Neuer had Realme so open signes of wrack As I had shewed me of my heauie hap The vision first of Stanley late descried Then mirth so extreame that neare for ioy I died Were it that Swanlike I foresong my death Or merrie mind foresaw the losse of breath That long it coueted from this earths annoy But euen as siker as th' end of woe is ioy And glorious light to obscure night doth tend So extreame mirth in extreame mone doth end For why extreames are haps rackt out of course By violent might far swinged forth perforce Which as they are piercing'st while they violent'st moue For that they
at Lord Stanley whose braine he had surely cleft Had he not downe beneath the table crept But Ely Yorke and I were taken straight Imprisoned they I should no longer wait But charged was to shriue me and shift with hast My Lord must dine and now midday was past The Bores first dish not the bores head should be But Hastings head the borish beast would see VVhy stay I his dinner vnto the chappel ioineth A greenish hil that body and soule oft twineth There on a blocke my head was stricken off As Baptists head for Herod bloudy gnoffe Thus liu'd I Baldwine thus dide I thus I fel This is the summe which al at large to tel VVould volumes fil whence yet these lessons note Ye noble Lords to learne and ken by rote By filthie rising feare your names to staine If not for vertues loue for dread of paine VVhom so the mindes vnquiet state vpheaues Be it for loue or feare when fancie reaues Reason her right by mocking of the wit If once the cause of this affection flit Reason preuailing on the vubridled thought Downe falth he who by fancie climbe aloft So hath the riser foule no staie from fall No not of those that raisd him first of all His suretie stands in mainteining the cause That heau'd him first which rest by reasons sawes Not onely falth he to his former state But liueth for euer in his princes hate And marke my Lords God for adulterie sleath Though ye it thinke too sweete a sinne for death Serue trulie your Prince and feare not rebels might On Princes halues the mightie God doth fight O much more then forsweare a forrein foe Who seeketh your realme and country to vndo Murther detest haue hands vnstaind with bloud Aie with your succour do protect the good Chace treason where trust should be wed to your frend Your heart and power to your liues last end Flie tickle credit shun alike distrust Too true it is and credit it you must The iealous nature wanteth no stormie strife The simple soule aye leadeth a sower life Beware of flatterers friends in outward show Best is of such to make your open foe What all men seeke that all men seeke to saine Some such to be some such to seeme them paine Marke Gods iust iudgements punishing sin by sinne And slipperie state wherein aloft we swimme The prouerbe all day vp if we ne fall Agreeth well to vs high heaued worldlings all From common sort vprais'd in honors weed We shine while Fortune false whom none erst feed To stand with stay and forsweare ticklenesse Sowseth vs in mire of durtie brittlenesse And learne ye Princes by my wronged sprite Not to misconster what is meant aright The winged words too oft preuent the wit When silence ceaseth afore the lips to sit Alas what may the words yeeld worthie death The words worst is the speakers stinking breath Words are but winde why cost they then so much The guiltie kicke when they too smartly touch Forth irreturnable flieth the spoken word Be it in scoffe in earnest or in bourd Without returne and vnreceiu'd it hangs And at the takers mercie or rigour stands Which if he sowerly wrest with wrathfull cheare The shiuering word turnes to the speakers feare If friendly courtefie do the word expound To the speakers comfort sweetly it doth redound Euen as the vapour which the fire repels Turnes not to earth but in mid aire dwels Where while it hangeth if Boreas frostie flawes With rigour rattle it not to raine it thawes But thunder lightnings ratling haile or snow Sends downe to earth whence first it rose below But if faire Phoebus with his countenance sweete Resolue it downe the dew or Manna sleete The Manna dew that in the Easterne lands Excell'th the labour of the bees small hands Else for her Memnon gray Auroras teares On the earth it stilleth the partener of her feares Or sendeth sweet showers to glad their mother earth Whence first they tooke their first inconstant birth To so great griefes ill taken words do grow Of words well taken such delights do flow This learned thus be heere at length an end What since ensued to thee I will commend Now farewell Baldwine shield my torne name From slanderous trumpe of blasting blacke defame But ere I part hereof thou record beare I claime no part of vertues reckoned heere My vice my selfe but God my vertues take So hence depart I as I entred nak'd Thus ended Hastings both his life and tale Containing all his worldly blisse and bale Happie he liued too happie but for sinne Happie he died whom right his death did bring Thus euer happie For there is no meane Twixt blissefull liues and mortall deaths extreame Yet feared not his foes to staine his name And by these slanders to procure his shame In rustie armour as in extreame shift They clad themselues to cloake their diuellish drift And forth with for substantiall citizens sent Declaring to them Hastings forged intent Was to haue slaine the Duke and to haue seised The Kings yong person slaying whom he had pleas'd But God of Iustice had withturn'd that fate Which where it ought light on his proper pate Then practised they by proclamation spread Nought to forget that mought defame him dead Which was so curious and so clerkely pend So long withall that when some did attend His death so yong they saw that long before The shroud was shaped then babe to die was bore So wonteth God to blind the worldly wise That not to see that all the world espies One hearing it cried out A goodly cast And well contriued foule cast away for hast Whereto another gan in scoffe replie First pend it was by enspiring prophecie So can God rip vp secret mischiefes wrought To the confusion of the workers thought My Lords the tub that dround the Clarence Duke Dround not his death not yet his deaths rebuke Your politique secrets gard with trustie loyaltie So shall they lurke in most assured secrecie By Hastings death and after fame ye learne The earth for murder crieth out vengeance sterne Flie from his faults and spare to hurt his fame The eager hounds forbeare their slaine game Dead dead auaunt Curs from the conquered chase Ill might he liue who loueth the dead to race Thus liued this Lord thus died he thus he slept Mids forward race when first to rest he stept Enuious death that bounceth as well with mace At Kesars courts as at the poorest gates When nature seem'd too slow by this sloape meane Conueighed him sooner to his liues extreame Happie in preuenting woes that after happ'd In slumber sweete his liuing lights he lapp'd Whose hastie death if it do any grieue Know he he liu'd to die and dide to liue Vntimely neuer comes the liues last met In cradle death may rightly claime his det Straight after birth due is the fatall beere By deaths permission the aged linger heere Euen in the swathbands out commission goeth To
vnfolded wrapt in deadly smarts VVhen he the death of Clitus sorowed so VVhom erst he murdred with the deadly blow Raught in his rage vpon his friend so deare For which behold loe how his pangs appeare The launced speare he writhes out of the wound From which the purple bloud spins in his face His heinous guilt when he returned found He throwes himselfe vpon the corps alas And in his armes how oft doth he imbrace His murdred friend and kissing him in vaine Forth flow the flouds of salt repentant raine His friends amaz'd at such a murder done In fearefull flocks begin to shrinke away And he therat with heapes of grief fordone Hateth himselfe wishing his latter day Now he likewise perceiued in like stay As is the wilde beast in the desert bred Both dreading others and him selfe adred He calles for death and loathing longer life Bent to his bane refuseth kindly food And plung'd in depth of death and dolours strife Had queld himselfe had not his friends withstood Loe he that thus hath shed the guiltlesse bloud Though he were King and Kesar ouer all Yet chose he death to guerdon death withall This Prince whose Peere was neuer vnder sunne Whose glistening fame the earth did ouerglide Which with his power welny the world had wonne His bloudy hands himselfe could not abide But folly bent with famine to haue dide The worthy Prince deemed in his regard That death for death could be but iust reward Yet we that were so drowned in the depth Of deepe desire to drinke the guiltlesse bloud Like to the Wolfe with greedy lookes that lepth Into the snare to feed on deadly food So we delighted in the state we stood Blinded so far in all our blinded traine That blind we saw not our destruction plaine We spared none whose life could ought forlet Our wicked purpose to his passe to come Foure worthy Knights we headed at Pomfret Guiltelesse God wot withouten law or dome My heart euen bleedes to tell you all and some And how Lord Hastings when he feared least Dispiteously was murdred and opprest These rocks vpraught that threatned most our wreck We seemd to saile much surer in the streame And Fortune faring as she were at becke Laid in our lap the rule of all the Realme The Nephues straight deposde were by the Eame And we aduanst to that we bought full deere He crowned King and I his chiefest Peere Thus hauing won our long desired pray To make him King that he might make me chiefe Downe throw we straight his silly Nephues tway From Princes pompe to wofull prisoners life In hope that now stint was all further strife Sith he was King and I chiefe stroke did beare Who ioied but we yet who more cause to feare The guiltles bloud which we vniustly shed The roiall babes deuested from their throne And we like traytours raigning in their stead These heauy burdens passed vs vpon Tormenting vs so by our selues alone Much like the felon that pursu'd by night Starts at ech bush as his foe were in sight Now doubting state now dreading losse of life In feare of wrack at euery blast of winde Now start in dreames through dread of murders knife As though euen then reuengement were assinde With restles thought so is the guilty minde Turmoild and neuer feeleth ease or stay But liues in feare of that which followes aye Well gaue that Iudge his doome vpon the death Of Titus Celius that in bed was slaine When euery wight the cruell murder laieth To his two sonnes that in his chamber laine The Iudge that by the proofe perceiueth plaine That they were found fast sleeping in their bed Hath deemd them guiltles of this bloud yshed He thought it could not be that they which brake The lawes of God and man in such outrage Could so forth with themselues to sleepe betake He rather thought the horrour and the rage Of such an heinous guilt could neuer swage Nor neuer suffer them to sleepe or rest Or dreadles breath one breth out of their brest So gnawes the griefe of conscience euermore And in the heart it is so deepe ygraue That they may neither sleepe nor rest therefore Ne thinke one thought but on the dread they haue Still to the death foretossed with the waue Of restles woe in terrour and despeare They lead a life continually in feare Like to the Deere that stricken with the dart Withdrawes himselfe into some secret place And feeling greene the wound about his hart Startles with pangs till he falt on the grasse And in great feare lies gasping there a space Forth braying sighes as though ech pang had brought The present death which 〈…〉 dread so oft So we deepe wounded with the bloodie thought And gnawing worme that grieu'd our conscience so Neuer tooke ease but as our heart out brought The stayned sighes in witnes of our woe Such restlesse cares our fault did well beknow Wherewith of our deserued fall the feares In euery place rang death within our eares And as ill graine is neuer well ykept So fared it by vs within a while That which so long with such vnrest we reapt In dread and danger by all wit and wile Loe see the fine when once it felt the whele Of slipper Fortune stay it might no stowne The wheele whurles vp but straight it whurleth downe For hauing rule and riches in our hand Who durst gaine say the thing that we auer'd Will was wisdome our lust for law did stand In sort so strange that who was not afeard When he the sound but of King Richard heard So hatefull waxt the hearing of his name That you may deeme the residue of the same But what auail'd the terrour and the feare Wherewith he kept his lieges vnder awe It rather wan him hatred euery where And fained faces forc'd by feare of law That but while Fortune doth with fauour blaw Flatter through feare for in their heart lurkes aye A secret hate that hopeth for a day Recordeth Dionysius the King That with his rigour so his Realme opprest As that he thought by cruell feare to bring His subiects vnder as him liked best But loe the dread wherewith himselfe was strest And you shall see the fine of forced feare Most Mirrour like in this proud Prince appeare All were his head with crowne of gold yspread And in his hand the royall scepter set And he with princely purple richly clad Yet was his heart with wretched cares orefret And inwardly with deadly feare beset Of those whom he by rigour kept in awe And fore opprest with might of tyrants law Against whose feare no heapes of gold and glie No strength of guard nor all his hired powre Ne proud high towres that preased to the skie His cruell heart of safetie could assure But dreading them whom he should deeme most sure Himselfe his beard with burning brand would seare Of death deseru'd so vexed him the feare This might suffice to represent the fine Of
tyrants force their feares and their vnrest But heare this one although my heart repine To let the sound once sinke within my brest Of fell Phereus that aboue the rest Such crueltie vpon his people wrought As oh alas I tremble with the thought Some he encased in the coats of Beares Among wilde beasts deuoured so to be And some for prey vnto the hunters speares Like sauage beasts withouten ruth to die Sometime t' encrease his horrid crueltie The quicke with face to face engraued hee Each others death that each might liuing see Loe what more cruell horror might be found To purchase feare if feare could stay his raigne It booted not it rather strake the wound Of feare in him to feare the like againe And so he did full oft and not in vaine As in his life his cares could witnesse well But most of all his wretched end doth tell His owne deare wife whom as his life he loued He durst not trust nor proch vnto her bed But causing first his slaue with naked sword To go before himselfe with trembling dread Straight followeth fast and whurling in his head His rolling eyne he searched heere and there The danger deepe that he so sore did feare For not in vaine it ran still in his brest Some wretched hap should hale him to his end And therefore alway by his pillow prest Had he a sword and with that sword he wend In vaine God wot all perils to defend For loe his wife foreirking of his raigne Sleeping in bed this cruell wretch hath slaine What should I more now seeke to say in this Or one iot further linger forth my tale With cruell Nero or with Phalaris Caligula Domitian and all The cruell rout or of their wretched fall I can no more but in my name aduert All earthly powres beware of tyrants heart And as our state endured but a throw So best in vs the stay of such a state May best appeare to hang on ouer throw And better teach tyrants deserued hate Then any tyrants death tofore or late So cruell seem'd this Richard third to me That loe my selfe now loth'd his crueltie For when alas I saw the tyrant King Content not only from his nephewes twaine To riue worlds blisse but also all worlds being Sauns earthly guilt ycausing both be slaine My heart agrieud that such a wretch should raigne Whose bloodie breast so sauag'd out of kind That Phalaris had nere so foule a mind Nay could I brooke him once within my brest But with the thought my teeth would gnash withall For though I erst were his by sworne behest Yet when I saw mischiefe on mischiefe fall So deepe in blood to murder Prince and all Aye then thought I alas and welaway And to my selfe thus mourning would I say If neither loue kindred nay knot of blood His owne allegeance to his Prince of due Nor yet the state of trust wherein he stood The worlds defame nor nought could forme him true Those guiltlesse babes could they not make him rue Nor could their youth nor innocence withall Moue him from reauing them their life and all Alas it could not moue him any iot Nay make him once to rue or wet his eye Stir'd him no more then that that stirreth not But as the rocke or stone that will not plie So was his heart made hard with crueltie To murder them alas I weepe in thought To thinke on that which this fell wretch hath wrought That now when he had done the thing he sought And as he would complisht and compast all And saw and knew the treason he had wrought To God and man to slay his Prince and all Then seem'd he first to doubt and dread vs all And me in chiefe whose death all meanes he might He sought to worke by malice and by might Such heapes of harmes vpharbar'd in his brest With enuious heart my honor to deface And knowing he that I which wotted best His wretched drifts and all his wretched case If euer sprang within me sparke of grace Must needs abhorre him and his hatefull race Now more and more gan cast me out of grace Which sudden change when I by secret chance Had well perceiu'd by proofe of enuious frowne And saw the lot that did me to aduance Him to a King that sought to cast me downe Too late it was to linger any stowne Sith present choice lay cast before mine eye To worke his death or I my selfe to die And as the Knight in field among his foes Beset with swords must slay or there be slaine So I alas lapt in a thousand woes Beholding death on euery side so plaine I rather chose by some sly secret traine To worke his death and I to liue therby Then he to liue and I of force to dye Which heauy choice so hastened me to chose That I in part agrieu'd at his disdaine In part to wreake the dolefull death of those Two tender babes his silly nephewes twaine By him alas commanded to be slaine With painted cheere humbly before his face Straight tooke my leaue and rode to Brecknocke place And there as close and couert as I might My purposde practise to his passe to bring In secret drifts I lingred day and night All how I might depose this cruell King That seemd to all so much desirde a thing As therto trusting I emprisde the same But too much trusting brought me to my bane For while I now had Fortune at my becke Mistrusting I no earthly thing at all Vnwares alas least looking for a checke She mated me in turning of a ball When least I feard then neerest was my fall And when whole Hosts were prest to stroy my fone She changed her cheare and left me post alone I had vprais'd a mightie band of men And marched forth in order of array Leading my power amid the forrest Dene Against the tyrant banner to display But loe my souldiers basely shranke away For such is Fortune when she list to frowne Who seemes most sure him soonest whurles she downe O let no Prince put trust in Commontie Nor hope in faith of giddie peoples mind But let all noble men take heed by me That by the proofe too well the paine do find Loe where is truth or trust or what could bind The vaine people but they will swerue and sway As chance brings change to driue and draw that way Rome thou that once aduanced vp so hie Thy stay Patron and flowre of excellence Hast now throwne him to depth of miserie Exiled him that was thy whole defence Nay count'st it not an horrible offence To reuen him of honor and of fame That wan it thee when thou hadst lost the same Behold Camillus he that erst reuiued The state of Rome that dying he did find Of his owne state is now alas depriued Banisht by them whom he did thus debt-bind That cruell folke vnthankfull and vnkind Declared well their false vnconstancie And Fortune eke her mutabilitie And
into France the succours small and slackly came Not only Paris then was lost within few daies That famous flowre of France of far renowned fame The French I say not onely gat and kept the same But by this meanes in France we daily felt such smart As might with pitie pierce an adamantine hart O great mishap the noble Duke of Bedford once being dead Our wealth went backe by discords foule despite we lost Not only townes in France and Captaines armies led But many souldiers eke with labour spence and cost And though full oft we made the French men smell of the rost Yet in the end we gaine of fight the fame And they by craft and treason gate the game What resteth more it were perdie too long to tell Of battels great and broiles which happened daily still The stories eke declare aduentures which befell Although God wot the writers wanted points of skill Of whom to speake a while digresse againe I will And partly shew what one he ought to be Which takes on him to write an Historie A Chronicler should well in diuers tongues be seene And eke in all the arts he ought to haue a sight Whereby he might the truth of diuers actions deeme And both supplie the wants correct that is not right He should haue eloquence and full and fitly write Not mangle stories snatching heere and there Nor glose to make a volume great appeare He should be of such countenance and wit As should giue witnesse to the Histories he writes He should be able well his reasons so to knit As should continue well the matter he recites He should not praise dispraise for fauour or despites But should so place each thing in order due As might approue the stories to be true But this may haps the time may seeke at length redresse And then such stories now and noble acts as die May come againe to light at least defaced lesse If from the Britaines first antiquities they trie In great defects if they the truth supplie Then shall the readers fuller stories find And haue whereby to recreate the mind But now returne I must and briefly heere declare Before my death what sundrie haps we had In warres right variously the states of Captaines fare Now well now woe now ioyfull now right sad But who well ends though all his haps were bad Let him erst sinke or swim lose win be slaine die fall If he die well h 'is thrice and foure times blest of all In France eight leagues from Paris Pontoise stands Tweene that and Roane which we had won before And so we held it English safely in our hands For to our Prince the men allegeance swore And they remain'd obedient euermore Till from their neckes to reaue the English yoke They might find meanes by whom to strike the stroke When these saw Paris lost and cities moe beside And what in France and Normandie reuolts had done They thought no longer subiect to abide But sought occasion how they might by French be won As of our losse reports did daily to them run So with King Charles th' agreed when to betray the towne And force the English flee or yeeld or beate them downe For why the powre of France could not with mightie host Performe to win by force from vs th' assaulted towne Them scaling often from the walles we tost On euery side full fast we flang the French men downe Our noble acts before had gotten such renowne And Fortune erst had past with vs so farre They had small hope to win our forts by warre Wherefore King Charles assai'd the secret saut Not by his force of French but by his golden fee Corrupting diuers Burgeses to make the faut Whereby an entrie should to his oppugning bee And they as erst is said were willing to agree Like periur'd theeues conspir'd by secret fine deuice Gaue Pontoise vp and tooke the promist price But in Nouember next when it was sharpe and cold And daily frost had dri'd and parched hard the ground We were in hope againe to get of Pontoise hold Which erst the townesmen sold for gaine of many a pound The snow fell fast lay thicke and couered well the ground And ditches were so hard about the towne befrore That on the ice by euery side we safely might get ore The Lord Iohn Clifford was chiefe Captaine then Which with vs Captaines did this policie deuise That we in clothing white and souldiers euery man Should in our armour finely vs disguise The next night so we should to the assault arise And passe the frozen ditch vnto the wall With ladders scale and kill the watchmen all We so prepar'd our selues as time occasion gaue And drest in white coats trim it ioy'd our hearts to see How fine we past the ditch what good successe we haue How on the walles we find the watch nigh frozen bee As noble Greekes on Troy on Pontoise season'd wee We slew the watch we beat the souldiers downe Some prisners tooke and tooke withall the towne Of stately Captaines French was Iohn de Villers one Within the taken towne and Narrabon a Knight Burgunion yet they fled away they gate them gone They durst not bide against the blanched boyes to fight We paid the periur'd knaues the Burgesses that night And gat as much of honor and renowne As they gat shame and losse which bought and sold the towne Marke well the French mens foiles in all our worthie warre In these two regall Henries times and you shall see How we surpast the French in valour farre And bend for Prince and Realme so valiant for to bee Which if ye shall and deale in seruice as did wee I nothing doubt renowne and fame shall say That noble England beares for warres the palme away But When King Charles had heard how Pontoise men had sped His armie straight assembled he therefore againe Wherewith to win this towne afresh th' assault he led He piners set to trench and vndermine amaine Made bastiles for defence yet all this toile was vaine For batterie of our walles he spent his powder still Made freshly French assaults but did no ill The noble Duke of Yorke discharged late before When now the Earle of Warwicke chanst at Roane to die Being Regent chosen once againe of France as yore Th' Earle of Warwicke Regent was two yeares perdie Arriu'd in France to rouse the French King he did hie Which lay besieging Pontoise as I said VVith him to fight and eke to bring vs aide The French King fled for haste he left his store behind VVhen he was once assur'd the Duke of Yorke drue neare He durst not stay to bide the time or place assign'd To fight our Regent with but fled away for feare By these assaies you see what men in France they were Discourag'd oft slaine put to flight and fall By sight force fight and names of numbers small There when the Duke had fortifi'd our Pontoise towne Then he pursu'd the