fauorite This he intreates for this his penne doth write Cease to command learne subiects to obay Reason where iustice rules beares greatest sway Is it not peerlesse praise with peace to gaine That for the which our fathers spent their blood And neuer age but ours could reobtaine O happy men if that you saw such good But will is masked still with errors hood Let ture obeisans vp this diet breake So Caesar wils so Cicero doth speake The fect was this the prophesie was such Which he had read with carefull industry And quoted euery line with iudgments touch A midst his study casting vp his eye Seeing his mistresse Fortune was not nye His booke he sleightly set into his gowne Which on the yellow sand fell quickly downe Thence posted he on his maiestique Asse Like some slow rider pacing to the race Than Isis siluer channell did I passe And thither went where as mine eyes might gaze On that faire booke clad in a golden case I past the Annales for it pleasde mine eye To muse vpon that sacred prophesie When I had read vnto the latter lyne I saw the aged king returne with speede Kind Syr quoth he saw you a booke of mine I Syr quoth I if this be he indeed I gaue it him he gaue me thankes for meed He posted thence I to my study went Where on this matter many houres I spent At last I was resolu'd for to relate In Poetry the things mine eyes did see Which was the vncertainety of humane state To paint the things a right with equitie I did implore the ayde of memorie Which she denide Oh worthies pardon mee If ought I write amisse which you shall see Not Orpheus trees and birds inchanting quill Nor Homers art heere Reader shalt thou see Expect not Ouids verse nor Maroes skill For if you doe you shall deceiued bee If bad it is pray gentles beare with mee Say it is meane thou dost mee much commend I 'de haue it meane because I meane to mend Mistake mee not I liue in hope to please Dispraise mee not before thou knowest mee well Maugre sweete not reuenge my lines loue peace Doe not my shame before thou seest it tell Marke euery line and each wordes nature spell Ere thou beginst to reade looke beare in minde Of whom I write yea how and in what kind Faire Englands Peeres with Romanes I compare Their warres their spoiles their fightes and victory Their filthy vices with their vertues rare Their laud dispraise their praise and infamy Their conquests triumphes with their treachery Then doth our muse declare intestine warres Kings conquering fields and Princes wounding iarres Then doth she mount the ayre with Eagles winges Then to the North shee goes and passeth Twidet And sings his praise which endles glory bringes Who like a Pilot doth this Island guide Which like a barke within the Sea doth ride This land is seated like to Venice state The waues the walles and euery ship a gate Least that my Gates be wider then my towne And that Diogines my folly see My proems prologue I le set quickly downe And bend my muse vnto the Prophesie Where you may reade art mixt with industry Needs must I erre to erre all men are bent To perseuere is a bad beasts intent The Comparison O What a sea of blood shall England spill When Normans Prince and Palastinas friend With burgonets of steele our fieldes doth fill Brothers must striue as did Seuerus kind Enuious ambition makes iust nature blind Arunce and Brutus dead Alarums cease Publicola doth liue and loueth peace When Brutus dide Valerius then did raigne When Arunce fell the Tuscan Emperour fled When Tirrolls shaft shall enter Rufus braine When Henries life with Roberts lightes are fled When all these sleepe in natures earthly bed Norfolke shall giue to Stephen Henries due Peace then shall be but warre shall soone ensue Flora is fled stout Hiems weares her crowne Attir'd like Mars in furniture of steele Aniow and Blois striue for the Imperiall Crowne A griefe surpassing griefe doth England feele Whilst doubtfull Fortune turns her doubtfull wheele Camillus comes the Frenchmen feare his voice Alba is freed and Albion hath her choice When Rome was sackt Camillus ended strife And made Bellinus brother to dispaire When Germanes Empresse Mawd shall end her life Henry shall claime the crowne as lawfull heire His Eame in graue but he in regall chaire Is plac't and rules his princely Peeres with peace His sonnes rebell and concord gins to cease Now springs the plant from hence our ioy shall spring Victorious Aniow crownd in regall state Liuing adopts an heir inuests a King Vagratefull child spurd by a womans hate Sturd forraine foes the land to ruinate Romes sword is Consul foe-men tribute paies Both Henries dead Christs friend the Septer swaies Marcellus which did Syracusa burne Made Affricks praise to praise his matchles minde And place his ashes in a golden vrne So Aibious lyon sprung from lyons kinde When death the king and prince in cords shall binde Hee le spend his treasure for Iehouas good But woe alas a slaue shall spill his blood Designed Iohn disuests young Britaines Duke But Antichristians prince our sauiours foe Bringes Lewis in and doth him straight rebuke Egles of England yeeld to Swans of Poe A Monarch falles by Monkes fates wills it so Titus suruiues though flames Flaminius burne Worster is safe and Lewis doth returne At Thrasimenus valiant Titus fell In Prusias Court his sonne reuengde his death Form happie heauen though Iohn to haples hell Headlong did slide his sonne shall weare the wreath The Dolphen flyes and Mars begins to breath Tempestuous whitle-windes breake the Temple gate Of Peace the peers the king the prince the Baron hate Ciuill dissention and dislovall armes Cleerly declares Clares hidden enmitie A fatall starre foretelleth future harmes The legions meete each doth the other spye Eccho resounds S. George S. George both cry Gracchus is stabd young Scipio peace maintaines The Barrons tam'd all conquering Longshanckes raignes Romes enuious Tribunes that ignoble Tribe The vitious issue of a vertuous dame Did the base mindes of poore Plebeians bribe To gaine them honour with their Countries shame They dead the world did ring with Romanes faine So Clare and Mountford shall who being slaine Edward shall vanquish Calidonias plaine Acon is tane and Tunis feares his stroakes He loued peace yet bare a warriors shield Cambria disdain'd to weare her sisters yoake The Ensignes spred both striue to win the field The bridge is past and Leoline must yeeld Marius departs Proscriptioâ—s gin to cease The Prince of warre shall end his dayes in peace Destruction graz'd on fertill Italy Till Syllas legions vanquisht Marius might So ciuill warres shall feed on Britany Till Leolinus that all daring Knight Is tane by Edward in vnequall fight When Marius fell Concordia gan to smile So Wales will amplify faire Englands stile
The Princes vertues do the subiectes moue Dangers and perils eminent to proue The noble Earle with speede pursues his fate Delay brings danger to the surest state When Fame reported this to Edwards care Hope vanquisht feare and gaue encouragement To see them firme who euer faithfull were Then to Lord Stafford Southwike Earle he sent To muster all his friends incontinent Then gaue he ioynt commission to these twaine As equalles when they came in Campe to raigne Thus these two Captaines as those two of yore VVhen Romes selected youth in Cannas bled Equall in power but not in Iudgements store As Varro Stafford from the battell fled As Paulus so renowmed Pembrooke sped Thus Lord-like stout Aemilius forth doth goe To chase the pride of his rebellious foe Stafford and hee weake staffe to leane vpon No Stafford he nor sprung from Buckingham Nor let that name so base a man bemoane His cowardize escandalizde his fame Lassiuious lust did explaiten his shame These two to Banbary with Armies bend Thence Stafford fled there Herberts life did end There might you see a troope of warlike men Conducted by the glories of their Clyme Vnworthy I with my vnworthy pen To aeternize in Layes vndecent Rime Their memories which liue in spight of time These two as Fabius and Marcellus weare Romes guarding target and offending speare Richard was valorous but his brother wise Youth made him forward age the other stayde Richard for action Pembrooke for aduise If both their worths were in a ballance way de Neither should Fates partiallitie vprayde The differences betweene these brothers are One peace affected most the other warre There might you see the Champions of the Beare Mounted on Iustie Coursers scoure the plaine There might you see the sonne of Latimer With rashnesse charge with feare returne and slaine They neuer feare who neuer feeled paine There might you see O I am greeu'd to say What yeares confirm'd consumed in a day There might you see that worthy man of men Richard with his victorious sword in hand Like a fierce Lyon passing from his den Or some sterne Boare whose anger plowes the land Securely passe through euery conquer'd band As a round bullet from a Canon sent This Knight alone through fortie thousand went And backe return'd to his amazed traine But more enraged with anger then before Begins to kill where he before had slaine Like a close myzer he augments his store The more he slaies to slaie he loues the more All this thou didst what latter age can tell Of one that better did or halfe so well Thus like Alcides all composde of ire Whose fiery lights shut sparkes of fortitude This Champion doth to greater deeds aspire Still pressing on the Hydra multitude Till like to sheepe they fled in order rude Then to his Tent with tryumph he doth goe Valure doth loue to spoile not chase the foe But see vnconstant chance and seeing weepe For euery word requires a siluer teare Whiles carelesse victory did sweetly sleepe And conquest by desert did honour weare VVhen most we liue secure we most should feare Sixe hundred men conducted by a Squire Made those that chaste with praise with shame retire But ere that these confused warriours fled Whom vnexpected horror did amaze They sold their liues for liues ere they were dead Their conquering blood their honors did emblaze Bnt all were not deriued from one race Some Stallions in a field some Asses bee And so of men there be of each degree Richard thou canst not mount thy steed and flye Nor thou great Lord experience makes thee stay To feare the name of death is worse then dye But men borne base a baser word will say I care not how I scape so liue I may Ye slaues to feare whom I abhorre to see That loue life more then praise or honestie Still do they striue till that vnnumbred presse Like Bees of Hybla swarmed euery where Courage in danger doth it selfe expresse Submission to a Lyon breeds but feare But rauenous beasts their prostrate subiects teare By such great Richard falls and Pembrooke dies Conquering twise twentie thousand enemies Mount sacred spirits with cleare conscience wings To the ninth heauen whereas your glorious eye May gaze on the immortall king of kings Liue you in peace but we in misery Man cannot happie be before he dye Vnto your glorious tombes I sacrifice These dismall Anthems and sad Elegies CEase mournfull Muse to chaunt these Ciuil broiles Vnciuill warres and sence-amizing times Brothers by brothers spoild vnnaturall spoiles The guilt whereof to Ioues tribunall climes Oh subiect fit for Thaeban Statius rimes All warres are bad but finall end doth tell Intestine warres all other warres excell Witnesse the same the Macedinian downe When Pompey did the Senates cause defend And Caesar sought the worlds Imperiall Crowne Witnesse Philippes and Antonius end Milde Othos death which Authors so commend Richard now riseth at his Nephewes fall A conscience cleare is like a brazen wall Now Englands Traiane sprung from Troiane race Doth Oxford helpe and Darbies aide implore Froth-faced Neptune with his trident mace Doth guide his Argosies to Milfords shoare At Bosworth field he slaies the tusked Boare Leicestrian Dales their crimson goare did fill A scarlet streame from Richard did distill Cheiney thy armes and sinewes are not strong Enough to match with Albions martiall king Brandon thou dost thy youthfull vigor wrong To combat him who to the field did bring Those cruell parts which Collingbourne did sing Now consolations wings doth reare my minde To shew his praise who sprang from Priams kinde Great Impe of kings heroicke Theodore Englands Augustus famous Prince of peace Great Treasurer of sacred Vertues store Eden of pleasure which didst all men please Comfort of Albion and they Countries ease From the foure golden Fountaines did arise Like vnto those that sprang from Paradise Oh that I had all wittes excelling witte To eternallize thy deeds immortall king My pen thy trophies should and tryumphes writte The triple lauor of this round should ring VVith thy great name which my great muse should sing But since that Nature did the same denie Accept my will aetheriall dietie Elizabeth O Princely perfect name Combinde with thee oh cheerfull cordiall knot No priuate quarell could white Albion fame VVith blood and rapine fierce dissention blot Fury it selfe within it self did rot Two parted Roses which so long did striue Grew on one stalke and both began to thriue From that faire stalke great Arthur first did rise Arthur who matcht with Castiles Katherine Childlesse he dide and death he did despise His body was intombde in gorgeous sâ—rine His soule ascended for it was diuine Henry then Prince and heire apparant was Henry which did all former Henries passe The snow-white Cliffes which Albion do confine Whose subiect sands are deckt with Margarites Clearer then is the clearest Christaline The towring waues which rule the narrow streights
A PROPHESIE of Cadwallader last King of the Britaines Containing a Comparison of the English Kings with many worthy Romanes from William Rufus till Henry the fift Henry the fift his life and death Foure Battels betweene the two Houses of Yorke and Lancanster The Field of Baubery The losse of Elizabeth The praise of King Iames. And lastly a Poeme to the yong Prince LONDON Printed by Thomas Creede for Roger Iackson and are to be solde at his shop in Fleetstreete ouer against the Conduit 1604. TO THE NO LESSE VERtuous then Honourable Gentleman Syr Philip Herbert Knight of the most noble order of the Bathe RIght worthy Sir the honor which I beare And euer will vnto your worthy line Makes me presume presumption cannot feare To tender you this litle Booke of mine Whose substance if your honor will approue My lines shall limits want so doth my loue That man of men whose fatall name you beare Of his vnnumbred worthes the chiefe were these Three glorious wreathes vpō his brow to weare Which said he loued learning warre and peace O aemulate this man the sonne of Fame Haue all his vertues though but halfe his name Pursue thy first designments noble Knight Affect thy Country and admire thy King The Epistle Dedicatorie Be as thou art sincere in all mens sight Do this and I thy praise will euer sing I smoothe not I nor do I hope for gaine Accept my loue and so requite my paine The admirer of your vertues whose life is deuoted to your loue William Harbert THE AVTHOR TO HIS Poeme TRace the wide stage of spight and proud disdaine And mount the steps of scornefull enuies staire Imperfect embrion of an idle braine Soare not aloft vse meane do not despaire The best way is betweene the sea and ayre Be like thy selfe be neither proud nor base One enuy gets the other gaynes disgrace Be not too huge in shew in strength a childe These imateriall Epithites eschew Be to the scornfull proud the humble milde Put not thy censure to an open view Speech enuy oft but Silence neuer knew When thou seest good then prayse when bad be blinde Then wit will beare with thee and fooles be kinde To the Reader I Which in silence nest so many dayes Smoothered the slight of my vnfeathered quill Because I knew it could not merit prayse Here where the Muses sang and shewd their skill For this did seeme to be Parnastus hill But this amaz'd my minde and grieu'd mine eye To see the Buzards with the Eagles flye To see a troupe of Souldiers neuer tride Besiege a fort by nature fenc'd on high I was asham'd to see the heires of pride Debase in vnexperienc'd Poetry The immortall vertues of great Maiestie I these are they that do the Muses staine One wanton pen makes all be iudged vaine I which securely on these errours gaz'd And safely stood vpon the silent shore When others Ships by enuies rockes were craz'd Loue me constrain'd as pride did them before To trust the rockes and leaue the silent shore The loue of friends not prayse did me perswade Against my will against the streames to wade Therefore to you whose iudgement is sincere If any fault as many faults there be Seeme harsh and iarring to a tuned eare Impute the blame to those and not to me Who made my pen shew his infirmitie If any good as small there is you see Reape you the profit yeeld but thankes to me A PROPHESIE OF Cadwallader last King of the Britaines SItting with Clio by the gliding Thame neere to her siluer girt the verdant strand I saw Rhamusis so adornd by fame Dauncing in measures on the farther sand Holding a Ball of gold within her hand She stood on that that neuer stood but went So must all those that trust her gouernment Then did this Queene her wandring coach ascend Whose wheeles were more inconstant then the winde A mighty troope this Empresse did attend There might you Caius Marius caruing find And martiall Scylla courting Venus kind Times alter and in times we changed bee Chaunce onely constant is in leuitie There might you see how Archimedes art As a strong bulwarke guarded Syracuse How Scipio fought and Cato stabd his hart How Anthony did wrong the sacred muse And Cleopatras body did abuse How Mago fell in Spaine and Hanniball Did pitch his tents before Saturnias wall His stratagems his snares vnequall fightes Scipio Sempronius and Flaminius slaine Aemilius dead amidst his wounded knights How chance his youth with praise did entertaine And in his age how Fortune wrought this paine All this shee did oh man her fraude perceiue And trust her not for shee will thee deceiue How Alexander rose at Darius fall Lysimachus within the Lyons den How Scypio did besiedge Numantias wall And many thousands more which scape my pen Amongst this fatall troope of Fortunes men I saw an aged king except I erre That cleaped was the high Cadwallader He was the last saue three of Fortunes trayne Those were a Danea Saxon and a Norman king Hengist the first next was Denmarkes swayne The last was Normanes bastard which did bring Plenty of Ioy whose praise the English sing William whose valure mixt with happy fate Brought bondage to the Iuthes and Augles state The Britaine Monarch ware a simple Crowne Hauing small beades of Amber by his side A siluer Crosse a Friers white frize gowne Vpon an humble Asse this King did ride As white as snow or as the siluer tide One hand a staffe the other held a booke On which his eyes continually did looke Wherein were charactred in lines of gold Locrinus warres and Humbers tragedy The King himselfe by Gwendoline controld The Scythians paramour of Germany Estrilda drownd the praise of Hungary Sabrina thrust in Seuerns flowing maine Poore Madan by the curres of Ireland slaine The Britaine Manlius not the Romane knight Thinking to slay Mempricius Madans sonne Himselfe was by his brother slaine in fight And he by wolues as Madan was vndone For Sodomes gilt to lust his mind had wonne The foremost booke did Britaines raigne relate The next of Swayne the third of Saxens state The fourth and last did write of Williams raigne In which there was an ancient prophesie Written of yore confirmd by Merlins twaine What should ensue to Williams progeny Was there at large expainde in poetry The warres of England for the crowne of France There many battels with their mournfull chance The ciuill warres of Yorke and Lancaster The Cambrian helmet changde for Englands crowne How true discent did Tudors blood preferre The brow of peace dispearced Mars his frowne The land of warre is rulde by iustice gowne These shall haue end then shall arise a King Which plenty shall conduct in concords string He with vnnumbred linkes of reasons chaine Shall three in one and one in three vnite Britaine should be the name for Brute doth raigne A King commands no Princes
Which do adumbrate sleepy rockes deceits Could not debarre his thoughts but he did goe To conquer France and Englands greatest foe Wolsey then liu'd high minded worthy Clarke VVhich did erect those glorious Towres of yore Learnings receptacle Religions parke Oh that some Eagle-mounting thought would so are To finish that which he began before Oh that some Prince for none but Princes can VVould perfect that that excellent worke of man The siluer Isis and the gliding Thame Whose billowes resalute the verdant strand Should warble Paans to his mightie name The leaden age is past which rulde the land Saturne is come and Saturne doth command VVhose hopes were dead rich students neuer feare Most rich in hope some will your turrets reare Nurse of ingenious spirits Athens praise Chiefe benefactor of what ere is mine O might I see some mightie Monarch raise Those halfe built walles and parted towres combine Then Christ might yet be iustly tearmed thine As Christ is best so should his houses bee And in perfection haue a sympathie Henries triumphant carkasse laid in graue Couered with gold in Caesars ancient towre Edward succeeds a Prince though yong yet graue The skye which whilome smilde begins to lowre And showres of sorrow on the land to powre He endes his life before it scarce began What is more short then shortest life of man When nature fram'd this Prince oh goodly creature Compos'd of pure and elementall fire Turnd in a heauenly mowld diuinest feature She saw her selfe deceiu'd and wroth with ire When life began his end she did desire What enuie so could thee proud Nature sting Nothing should make and marre the selfe same thing The Gods did enuie mans felicitie And therfore did to Nature condescend That this yong King great King of Maiestie In sixteene yeares his vitall course should spend His life hath end and all our ioyes haue end Nature doth hasten to the house of death And shee consents to steale away his breath Now Spayne and England ioynes that peace I loue That concord doth augment the common state Pray God it doth both firme and faithfull proue But for to match with Spayne oh cruell fate Could Mary so her countrey ruinate Guiltlesse shee was but those that made the match Vnder their wings did egges of Serpents hatch Oh now me thinkes I could in dismall blacke Shadow my lookes and neuer wish the light Writing red lines of blood more blacke then blacke The massacres of mans amazing sight After these duskie clouds comes elearest light Mary is dead Elizabeth doth raigne Her conscience cleare no corasiue could staine The losse of Elizabeth FAire Virgin Empresse royall Princely maide Sprung from the Damaske Rose the Roses bud T is true as truth it selfe which men haue saide The end is best though all the meanes be good She was the last and best of Henries blood Henry did well in all excell in this In getting of this Maide our greatest blisse He vanquisht Bolleine and strong Turnus towne And rode in tryumph through the English Pale Placing the Diademe of France that regall Crowne Vpon his sisters temples and withall Made the twelue Peeres to feare their finall fall But what of these if Bullain had not bin We all had liu'd for aye in endles sin Astronomers did dreame and fondly saide That twelue designed signes did rule a Spheare Virgo did guide the earth oh heauenly Maide But now sky-teachers wise men neuer feare To say she is in heauen for sure shee s there Oh she is gone with her our pleasures fled They liu'd in her they dide when she was dead Bright Gem of honor Albions glorious starre The Cynosure of Englands Hemispheare Princessse of peace Cytherian queene of warre Rides through the cloudes on her caelestiall beare Conquering deathes Ebon dart and sharpest speare Fathers of peace put on triumphant weedes A gratious King a gratious Queene succeedes Reasons first founder Natures eldest sonne The Stoikes prince did also erre in this Repugnant natures neuer raigne in one Perfect my griefe more perfect is my blis I smile with ioy yet teares my cheekes do kisse A present salue hath cured a pensiue sore Britaine is now what Britaine was of yore The wandring Brute who sprang from Priams kinde Though artlesse men with their malignant muse Still bearing burning enuie in their minde Britaines first Monarch warlike Brute abuse Of all the Northern world this Isle did chuse With fire and sword he did obtaine his sute With peace and ioy we chuse a second Brute Peace valure learning science hee did bring Thou feare of God whom thou doest onely feare Imperiall Monarche truth and concordes King No champion then did weild his fruitlesse speare No chaine did tye the milde vntamed Beare Saturne then liued no Sinon did amisse All men were free no slaue by Nature is Oh sacred age and blessed times of yore When iust Astraea rul'd this circled plaine Then each man liu'd alike and liu'd withstore No Persian blood did Salamina stayne No Vandals Rome nor Romane gouernd Spayne No Cannas chaunce did cause Saturnia mourne No sencelesse Nero wisht new Troy to burne No Manlius sought a Diademe to gaine No iust Papirius sude for Fabius bloud Claudius as then did not Virginia stayne No Consulls fell at Alias flaming flood Red Charea was not dewde with Fabys blood Albans and Romanes knew no single sight Saffetius did not yeeld to Martius might The vnspotted spowse of martiall Collatine Did not consent to Sextus lawlesse lust Each virgin was ybound with Vestas line Camillus needed not the Ardeans trust Nor Sceuola his hand in flames to thrust But see oh see how age doth follow age VVorse after worse as Actors on a stage Thrice happy Britaine strong vnited Ile Disioynted was by her first monarches fall Then Albanact was slaine by Humbers guile Caesar then conquer'd it who conquered all Hunes Pictes and Danes tryumph't in Britaines fal Vaile sorrowes roabes Ioues father comes againe The golden age begins with Iacobs raigne The Lords great Stuart Albions mightie King Our second Brute like to the morning starre To Englands Court doth light of comfort bring Now Concords boult doth Ianus temple barre Binding in chaines the sternest god of warre Vertue and valour triumph euermore Augustus liues adornd with Crassus store TO THE MAIESTIE OF King Iames Monarch of all Britayne ALl haile great Monarch of the greatest Ile The Northerne worlds vnited lawfull King Pardon my rudest reede vndecent stile Though I want Skill in thy new Empires spring Yet doe I loue and will thy prayses sing Me thinkes I do on Clarps Kingdome stand No maruaile for Apollo rules the land On true obedience knee I pardon aske Of thy diuine heroicke Maiestie It was thy merites great impos'd this taske On my weake pen badge of infirmitie Too weake indeede to prayse thy excellency Each Cherrils muse doth now salute thy grace Shall I alone be mute and hide my face Marâ— extold Augustus peacefull daies
Th' omnipotent and all-commanding Ioue VVhich doth on Nactar and Ambrosia feed Iuno Apollo and Cythereis loue VVith all the Gods that rules the sphere aboue Entreats coÌ„mands of you faire sisters three To end his life though not his dignitie Atlas you know is old Alcides dead You know the waight of Heauens massy throne The Planets houses couered all with lead Ioues pallace varnisht with rich Rubies stone The gates of Iuory and Indian bone He that doth heauens heauiest waight sustaine Must patience haue to tollerate his paine Therefore quoth he this is my Fathers will For Ioue his Father was or Fame doth lye That you which power haue great kings to kill Would shorten Henries life that he might dye A heauenly thought deserues aeternitie Atlas is old and Atlas must haue aide All feare the heft Henry was nere afraide The Sisters stood amazde at his request Each looke at others eyes as in a glasse Whereat sterne Clotho eldest of the rest Brother quoth shee for Ioue their Father was Shall Fates be rulde by Gods ahlas ahlas They reuell still but we poore wretches worke We labour they in Caues of pleasure lurke The worlds poore Impes may iustly now complaine Of humane sorrow mans still growing griefe How birds and beasts a longer life do gaine Then man poore man And mans commaunding chiefe If you deny them helpe where is reliefe Men say that Fates are certaine now they see Ioue made vs constant in inconstancy The angry God invelloped with ire Wrath in his face and fury in his lookes His eyes more redde then was the reddest fire Shewes auncient Monuments of sacred bookes Which earst he wrote by the Idalian brookes There might you see what Act the Gods did frame Amongst the rest Ioue might the Sisters blame Out of this place he drawes his argument And doth confute their sugred Sophistry Then reades another Act of Parliament Which did confirme Ioues royall Empery His great prerogatiue and dignity Then doth he powre forth sacred Eloquence Selected flowers of learnings Quintessence What if proud Terras issue Briareus VVould combat with your great aetheriall Sire Fntring Castalia where the sacred Muse Liues still inspirde with yong Apollos fire VVhat if the Giants could so high aspire VVould not they touch the christalized sky Vntuning heauens sweetest harmony VVhat God should then the heauens waight sustaine VVhilst Bacchus in his Indian Tygers Carre VVould shake the Orbes and that celestiall plaine VVhen faire Victoria conquering Queene of warre Brighter then Venus or the brightest starre Doth giue to Ioue a Crowne bedeckt with gold Could Atlas then heauens heauiest waight vphold His age is great and yeares will strength remoue Therefore faire Sisters well aduised bee To answere loue and all the Gods aboue Though loth they were yet all did well agree To cut his thred for meere necessitie Then Atlantiades did soone depart And Atropos did stabbe great Henries hart Thus dide the Phaenix of the vastie round Whose worth my Muse should euer memorize And Eccho-like his martiall deeds resound Put that he did his Country scandalize In following Henry which did tyranize She gaue thee breath to liue and men to fight Yet thou depriu'st her of her cleerest light When noble Henry ended hath his daies Bedford with conquering swords Vernoi shal fill And spend his blood to gaine immortall praise Beauford and Beaumount shall good Humfrey kill And Warwicke gaine the popular good will Poole is exilde from wofull Margaret And Yorke malignes the Duke of Somerset Mars mounts his Ensigns on our highest towers And decks our helmets with Ambitions plumes Reuenge sad massacres and scarlet showres Distills Cities are burnt whose dankish fumes Contaminates the Ayre now Yorke presumes VVith Sarums Earle and Warwickes willing hand To gaine the Crowne and with the Crowne the land The Ciuill Warres PLutonian Princesse sacred Proserpine Licence Megaera and Câ—esiphone VVhich neuer saw the Sunnes all-pleasing shine Enter this vale of humane misery And consecrate to endles memory These Ciuill broyles in Characters of brasse Set forth these warres which did all warres surpasse Heer 's Mars pauilion there Bellonas tent The Lanciers here there the Carbines stands The Bilmen strikes the Archers bowes are bent Here raging Fury flies with burning brands Distorted limmes are pilde on purple sands Here Gassamores are cract there helmets crazd Here Gorgets cut there Vaines of Azure razd Now doth the Courser neigh the Clarions sound And wrath mounted on a flaming steed Doth both the Legions fortitude confound The moistlesse earth for very griefe doth bleed To see the Gardner spoyle the sowen seed Heere might you see what age could neuer tell Whilst Lyons fought the forests Barons fell Heere Ambuscadoes watch the sallying Scout There Hanniball entraps Marcellus traine Here wings are plac't and squadrons round about Scipiades must leaue disloyall Spaine And like Anebises clippe the Elizian plaine Nature hath digd for men more kind of graues Then Indian Ganges hath translucent waues No valiant Martius stout Coriolaene Did now the raging multitude withstand Tumultuous windes haue left the rocky lane Where sterne Hypoaates with Mace in hand Their lawlesse force by force doth countermaund Eurus will blowe and shake the Islands King Rebells will rise and belles of discord ring Vnworthy I to mount that sacred hill And Clodius-like see female sacrifice Virgill sang this and none but Virgill will Aduenture valures worth to memorice Thrice glorious obiect fit for Princely eyes Pardon great Homer my all-daring muse Let Cherills folly Cherills fault excuse The lesser starres makes Phoebe shine more bright So may my infant Muse comparde to thine Make thy heroicke Poems splendant light Seeme fairer farre in mens iuditious eyne Comparison makes Vertue seeme diuine Yet giue me leaue with my vnworthy pen To blazon forth the Acts of worthy men Cease mournfull Rome thy sad enlangoring Those fatall Fields neere to Campania sought Wherein the very prime of Marius spring The spring of griefe which Carbo deerly bought Ambitious Conquest rulde great Syllas thought Speake not of these proud Rome nor make thy mone Or if thou speak'st make not comparison What of stout Varro and Affranius lost Massilias ruine Scaeuas pierced shield Home by Brundusium Caesars shippes were tost Euer renowm'd Pharsalias bloody field How Iuba fell and Diator did yeeld Pompey in Egipt by Pothinius slaine And endles shame which Ptolomy did gaine Caesar is stabd and Albas doth lament Antonius doth the Tyrants plea refute Irefull Octauius to reuenge is bent Cascas and Cassius Cicero and Brute For Countreys freedome frame a faithlesse suite Lawes silent are when armies rule the towne Who conquered Kings by Kings are tumbled downe Enuious desire of honor loue to raigne Seuers their mindes whome nature did combine Two Romaine nauyes cut the Ocean maine One brothers losse doth cause anothers gaine Nothing is worse then Potentates disdaine Rome simild with ioy when ciuill warres did cease England
admired more at perfect peace In thirteen battells Englands strength was tryde Gauntes issue striues with Clarence progenie Through euery place destructions steed did ryde Making debate and endles enmitie Twixt subiects loue and Princely soueraigntie The Lords conspire and at Saint Atbons meete Here 's Warwickes tent there Yorke doth man the streete Vnder the Castell Somerset is slaine Here Clsfford falls and there Northumberland Great Buckingham renewes the fight againe In vaine the Lion doth the Beare withstand Where Warwicke leades his all subduing band The Rose doth wither and the Daysie spring The Queene escapt but Warwicke hath the king O whither shall she fly whose ay de expect Who is encombred with a thousand woes VVhat peasant boore will princes griefes respect By flight she scapes the furie of her foes Thus to the North this Amazonian goes Griefe flies to those who are opprest with griefe Societie in woe is some reliefe VVhen Romes two Scipios fell two glorious starres In Andeluzia or illuding Spaine None durst but Scipio vndertake those warres Euen so when Clifford was for England slaine And Percies pride lay breathlesse on the plaine None durst the Ragged Staffe and Beare withstand But Cliffords sonne and great Northumberland The Trumpets wake the Champions to the field VVho rode in tryumph through Epaeons towne To VVestmerland and Margaret must yeeld VVhose vertues did deserue a golden Crowne His browes are circulizde with paper browne Themistocles doth yeeld to Xerxes might Yorke ouermatcht giues place to Heuries right Penthisilea bends her course to Troy Shewing the spoiles of Larisseas King And Henry like to Priam smiles with ioy Seeing his Queene such Tropheys home to bring And all the Phrigian Virgins Io sing Like vnto this or like a brauer wight Couragious Margret doth returne from sight Neuer discouragde Warwicks royall Peere Vnconstant Clarence constant Montacute Seeing the Southerne coast of Albion cleere Did Essex Suffolke Surrey resalute Norfolke doth Mowbray Captaine constitute Both Armies ioyne and to Saint Albons came They flye their foes where first they ouercame Mowbray to Suffolke Warwicke with the rest In haste poste haste to Cambrias borders flye New rising March doth rowse his spangled Crest And vnderstanding by a sallying spye His Fathers friends and fauourites were nigh With decent gesture doth them entertaine Imploring aide his right to reobtaine Warwicke who was the speaker for them all In modest sort as well became his age Not Duke of Yorke but doth him Soueraigne call A name so great doth vertue equipage Now each to other doth his honour gage Like Caesar now he ioynes with Anthony And like to him doth foster enmitie When Brutus hand had stabd great Caesars hart Octauius honour euery where did finde Antonius takes the stout Caesareans part But when reuenge had satisfide her minde Whome mariage chaste with friendship had combinde Ambition makes them striue for endlesse raigne And with their bloud to dye the crimson mayne So Edward and renowned Sarums sonne Ioyne to reuenge dead Richards iniury But when that Gaunts great issue was vndone Warwicke doth enuy Yorkes prosperitie And much disdaines his peerlsse Soueraigntie Witnesse when Edward durst not here abide And Barnet field where noble Warwicke dide Henries faire Queene great Neapolitane Blinded with masked fate vnconstant chance Did neuer feare her future fatall bane Like a sierce coult this Iennet proud did prance Smiling with ioy to see her smiling chance Harke how the Drumme doth summon to the field See how she takes her ill beseeming shield Stay Naples pride Sicilian Empresse stay Will France for euer showres of vengeance raigne Thy first approch presage this fatall day Fire flew from heauen and made our Turrets plaine When thy Armados cut the Ocean maine Had Caesar read that which the poore man gaue Egypt had neuer beene Antonins gratre Had but great Henry great in Maiestie Ioynd with that match which Bedford first did make He had not tasted base seruilitie But when his minion Suffolke did forsake That Nimph of ioy great heire to Arminake Then Yorkes depressed issue gan to rise An abiect Prince each Subiect will despise Clifford and Percy proppes of Henries state Seeing the Southerne Lords entend to fight Doth the fierce Tygers anger instigate Proposing arguments of Henries right How her decayd augmented Edwards might In Hampton first she did our woe begin Two Hamptons cannot end her endlesse sin Fury awakes the murthred Lions whelpe And like poore Hector his deceased sire Craues of his kinsemen their supporting helpe Their smotherd hate hath kindled murthers fire Which none can quench till they haue quencht desire Where Nemssis of late did murther end There she begins heroicke bloud to spend Like the worlds Monarch Yorkes apparant heire Ioynes with his Fathers friend great Neuils race They to Northampton with their troupes repaire VVhere Aniowes Tamiris with martiall grace Cliffords triumphant Armes did embrace Clifford whose name as Taibot did in France Made Warwicke feare his Colours to aduance Octauius now and chaste Octauias Bride Conspire the death of tyranizing Brute Clifford must fall in top of all his pride Who did by Armes great Muusters plea refute Doth pleade his cause but Warwicke gaines the suite A headlesse arrow piercst his armed throate Who in his youth did saile in Conquests boate If Homer liu'd and dwelt in Castalie And daily tasted of Parnassus Well Inspirde with furious sacred Poesie Yet would he not our Virgils worth excell Whose Paeans did these fierce massacres tell Delia is praisd with thy all-praysing hand No wonder for thou dweltst in Delos land Eight seuerall Battels shall escape my Muse Least pride it selfe should me esteeme as proud Let Maros quill that sacred path peruse Couer my temples with a sable cloud Cimerian wreathes my head of sorrow shrowd Giue me a brazen Pensill not a Pen Some drops of blood to portraiture these men The Field of Banbery NOw warre is mounted on rebellions Steede And discontent perswadeth willing Pride His crest to raise and wears an Iron weede Long smothred Enuy doth the Army guide Which made firme loue from true obedience slide 'T was that great Neuill made proud George rebell Whose haughty spirits Warwicke knew too well Warwicke that raisde the race of Mortimer Whose eyes did see too soone thy death saies so The downfall of immortall Lancaster 'T was he that did what could not Warwicke doo Make Kings and Queenes to loue and feare him too 'T was that great Peere who with one warlike hand Crown'd and vncrown'd two kings who rulde the land Thus while these Royall but disloyall Peeres Maugre reuenge to him that knew not feare Vnnumbred bands of men and swarmes appeares In North and South East West yea euery where They throw away their Coats and Corslets weare Wiues maides and Orphants eyes are stuft with teares And cannot see the Spades transform'd to Speares The Shepheards hooke is made a souldiers pike Whose weather-beaten hands must learne